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A SEAL 

UPON THE LIPS OF 

UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, 

AND ALL OTHERS WHO REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE 

THE SOLE, SUPREME, AND EXCLUSIVE DIVINITY 

OF 

OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR 
JESUS CHRIST. 

CONTAINING 

ILLUSTRATIONS 

OF ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-FOUR PASSAGES 

IN THE 

Four Evangelists and the Apocalypse y 

IN PROOF THAT 

JESUS CHRIST 

IS THE SUPREME AND ONLY GOD OF HEAVEN AND EARTH, 



In that day there shall be one Jehovah and his name One. Zech. xiv. 9, 
The Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy. Apoc, xix. 10. 



BY ROBERT HINDMARSH, 

AUTHOR OF - LETTERS TO THE LATE DR. PRIESTLEY, IN DEFENCE OF THE NEW 
JERUSALEM DOCTRINES. REFLECTIONS ON THE UNITARIAN AND TRINITA- 
RIAN DOCTRINES, &C &C. 



PHILADELPHIA : 

Printed for Johnson Taylor, by Lydia R. Bailey, 
No. 10, North Mley. 

1815, 



CONTENTS. 



Pagb 

ADVERTISEMENT - - - - - i 

Preface - „•» - - - - -iii 

MATTHEW. 

Preliminary Observations - * - » 1 

1. Matt. i. 18 to 21. The Conception and Birth of Jesus 

Christ - - - - 3 

2. Matt. i. 22, 23. Jesus is called Emmanuel, or God 

with us - - - - - T 

3. Matt. ii. I, 2, 11. The Wise Men from the East wor- 

ship the Infant Jesus - - - -15 

4. Matt. iii. 3. John the Baptist prepares the Way of Je- 

hovah, by preparing the Way of Jesus - - 16 

'5. Matt. iii. 11, 12. John declares himself not worthy to 

bear the Shoes of Jesus - - - ~ if 

6. Matt. iv. 7. The Devil tempts Jesus, who replies to 

him, " Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God" - i8 

7. Matt. v. 21, 22 ; 27, 28 ; 31, 32; 33, 34 $ 38, 39 ; 43, 44. 

The law of Jehovah new-modelled by Jesus - ib* 

8. Matt. viii. 2, 3. A Leper worships Jesus, and is 

cleansed - - - * - - 20 

9. Matt. viii. 6 to 10, 13. The Centurion's Faith in Jesus 21 

10. Matt. viii. 16. Devils cast out by the Word of Jesus 23 

11. Matt. viii. 23 to 27. The Winds and the Waves obey 

the Voice of Jesus «-# •" - - > 25 



CONTENTS, 

Page 

12. Matt. viii. 31, 22. The Devils petition Jesus to permit 

them to enter into the Herd of Swine - - 26 

13. Matt. ix. 2 to 6. The Paralytic healed, and his Sins 

forgiven, by Jesus - - - - - 27 

14. Matt. ix. 18, 23, 25. The Ruler, whose Daughter was 

restored to Life, worships Jesus - - - 29 

15. Matt. ix. 20 to 22. A Woman, having an Issue of 

Blood, comes behind Jesus, and touching the Hem of 
his Garment, is instantly made whole - - 52 

16. Matt. ix. 27 to 30. Two blind Men, on confessing their 

Faith in the Power of Jesus, receive their Sight - 35 

17. Matt. x. 1. Jesus gives Power to his twelve Disciples 

to cast out unclean Spirits, and to heal all Manner of 
Sickness and Disease - - - - 3/ 

18. Matt. x. 37 to 39. Jesus worthy to be loved more than 

Father and Mother, Son and Daughter, yea, more 
than Life itself - - - - 38 

19. Matt. xi. 27. All Things delivered unto Jesus by the 

Father - - - - - - 40 

20. Matt. xi. 27. No one truly and perfectly knows the 

Son Jesus, except the Father himself ; nor does any 
Man know the Father, except the Son - - 44 

21. Matt. xi. 28. Jesus invites the weary to Himself, and 

promises to give them Rest - - - - 45 

22. Matt. xii. 6. Jesus greater than the Temple - - 50 

23. Matt. xii. 8. Jesus, as the Son of Man, is Lord even 

of the Sabbath Day - - 52 

24. Matt. xii. 25. Jesus knows the Thoughts of Men - 53 

25. Matt. xii. 31, 32. Jesus, in discriminating between 

Blasphemy against the Son of Man, and Blasphemy 
against the Holy Spirit, authoritatively announces 
what Crime shall, and what shall not, be forgiven 
unto Men - - - - - - 55 

26. Matt. xii. 41, 42. Jesus greater than Jonas, and greater 

than Solomon - - - - - 64 

27. Matt. xiii. 41. Jesus, as the^ Son of Man, sends forth 

his Angels to purify his Church and Kingdom - 66 



CONTENTS. 

Page 

28. Matt. xiv. 15 to 21. Jesus, with only five Loaves and 
two Fishes, supplies a Super-abundance of Food for 
five thousand Men, besides Women and Children 68 

%9. Matt. xiv. 22, 25 to 33. Jesus walks upon the Sea, and 
enables Peter to do the same, so long as he has Faith 
in his Divine Omnipotence - - - - 75 

30. Matt. xv. 21 to 28. A Woman of Canaan directs her 

Faith, her Worship, and her Prayer, to Jesus ; where- 
upon her Daughter, grievously vexed with a Devil, is 
made whole ----- - 78 

31. Matt. xv. 30, 31. The lame, the blind, the dumb, &c. 

healed by Jesus ; insomuch that the Multitude won- 
dered at his Divine Power, and glorified the God of 
Israel. Including the Reasons why Jesus charged his 
Disciples and others not to publish him as the Christ 79 

32. Matt. xvi. 18, 19. Jesus gives to Peter, as a Represen- 

tative of Faith in his Divinity, the Keys of the King- 
dom of Heaven - - - - - 83 

53. Matt. xvii. 1, 2. The Transfiguration of Jesus, exhibit- 

ing a Sight of his Divine Humanity, and at the same 
Time of the Glory of his Word - - - 87 

54. Matt. xvii. 14 to 18. A Lunatic healed by Jesus, when 

his Disciples could not effect the Cure, for Want of 
Faith in their Divine Master - - - 97 

35. Matt. xvii. 24 to 27. Jesus directs Peter to procure 
Tribute -Money from the Mouth of a Fish to be taken 
out of the Sea, thus demonstrating his supernatural 
Knowledge - - - - - - 9§ 

S6. Matt, xviii. 19. Jesus declares his Divine Omnipre- 
sence, by assuring his Disciples, that wheresoever two 
or three are gathered together in his Name, there he 
is in the Midst of them - - - - 101 

37. Matt. xix. 16 to 22. Jesus, on being called Good Mas- 
ter, refuses not the Appellation, but after suggesting 
an Inquiry into the Reason for so naming him, con- 
cludes with declaring himself to be the Supreme Good, 
alone, worthy of Man's Pursuit - 103 



CONTENTS. 

Page 

38. Matt. xx. 30 to 34. Two blind Men pray to Jesus, and 

being rebuked by the Multitude, renew their Prayers 
with still greater Importunity, until their Eyes are 
opened by his Divine Hand - - - - 111 

39. Matt. xxi. 1 to 5. Jesus, on commissioning two of his 

Disciples to bring him an Ass with her Colt, discovers 

a Knowledge and Foresight plainly supernatural - 115 

40. Matt. xxi. 18 to 20. The Divine Omnipotence of Jesus 

exemplified in the Case of the Fig-tree, which wither- 
ed away at his Word - - - - 117 

41. Matt. xxi. 23 to 27. Jesus, by refusing to acknowledge 

any superior Authority, under which he acted, plainly 
enough teaches, that his Authority was self-derived, 
and consequently that He Himself is God - - 123 

42. Matt. xxi. 42. The Stone, (i. e. Jesus,) rejected by the 

Builders, is now become the Head of the Corner - 129 

43. Matt. xxii. 41 to 46. Jesus puts the Question to the 

Pharisees, How can Christ be the Son of David, 
when at the same Time David calls him his Lord ? 
plainly instructing us concerning the Distinction be- 
tween the infirm and the Divine Humanity - - 135 

44. Matt, xxiii. 34. Jesus sends Prophets, Wise Men, and 

Scribes, into the Church $ thus proving that he is the 
God of the Church - - - - -139 

45. Matt. xxiv. 35. The Words of Jesus more durable 

than Heaven and Earth - - - - 141 

46. Matt, xxviii. 9. The Disciples worship Jesus after his 

Resurrection - - - - - 145 

47. Matt, xxviii. 18. Jesus declares, that he possesses all 

Power in Heaven and in Earth - 148 

48. Matt, xxviii. 19, 20. Jesus inculcates the Doctrine of a 

Divine Trinity, not of Persons, but of Essentials in 
his own Person; and at the same Time teaches his Di- 
vine Omnipresence. - - = - 155 



CONTENTS. 
MARK. 



Pagi;- 



Preliminary Observations - - - - - 159 

49. Mark i. 23, 24, An unclean Spirit acknowledges Jesus 

to be the Holy One of God - - - - 161 

50. Mark vii. 37. Jesus is declared to have done all Things 

well - - - - - - - ibt. 

51. Mark xiv. 12 to 16. Jesus, on sending two of his Dis- 

ciples to make ready the Passover, foretels, even as to 
the most minute Circumstances, what would occur to 
them while on that Errand - - - - 162 

52. Mark xiv. 18. Jesus foretels, that one of his Disciples 

(Judas Iscariot) would betray him - - 16(5 

/53. Mark xiv. 27 to 31. Jesus foretels, that all his Disci- 
ples would be offended because of him, and that Peter 
in particular would deny him thrice in one Night - 164 
X4* Mark xvi. 17, 18. Jesus gives Power to Believers to 
cast out Devils, to speak with new Tongues, to take 
up Serpents, to drink any deadly Thing with Impuni- 
ty, and to heal the sick - ib. 

LUKE. 

Preliminary Observations - - - - - 165 

55. Luke i. 17. John the Baptist precedes Jehovah, i. e. 

Jesus, in the Spirit and Power of Elias - - ib, 

56. Luke i. 41. Elizabeth filled with the Holy Spirit, on 

hearing the Salutation of Mary now pregnant with 
the Child Jesus - - - - - 166 

57. Luke ii. 11. Jesus at his Birth is declared by an Angel 

to be a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord - - 167 

58. Luke ii. 42 to 50. Jesus at twelve Years of Age found 

in the Temple, in the midst of the Doctors, pursuing 
not his supposed, but his real Father's Business. In- 
cluding a Discussion of the Question, How he could be 
the Father, to whom all Things were known, when at 



CONTENTS. 

Page 

the same Time be was the Son, to whom some Things 
were unknown ? - - - - - 168 

59. Luke v. 4 to 6. Jesus directs Simon and his Compa- 

nions to launch out into the Deep, and let down their 
Nets ; whereupon they inclose a great Number of 
Fishes - - - - - 175 

60. Luke vii. 11 to 15. Jesus raises from the dead a young 

Man, the Son of a Widow - - = - 176 

61* Luke viii. 38, 39. Jesus, after casting a Legion of De- 
vils out of a Man, tells him to shew how great Things' 
God, i. e. Himself, had done unto him - - ib. 

62. Luke viii. 49 to 55. Jesus raises a young Maiden from 

Death, and calls her Spirit back again - - 177 

63. Luke ix. 38 to 43. Jesus rebukes and casts out an un- 

clean Spirit from a Child, which his Disciples were 
unable to do - - - - - - 179 

64. Luke x. 17 to 19. Jesus gives the seventy Power to 

tread on Serpents and Scorpions, and over all the 
Power of the Enemy - ib, 

65. Luke xi. 20. Jesus casts out Devils with the Finger of 

God, that is, by his own Power - 180 

66. Luke xii. 8, 9. The Confession of Jesus before Men 

will be rewarded before Angels ; while the Denial of 
him will be punished by Exclusion from Heaven - 181 

67. Luke xviL 12 to 19. Ten Lepers cleansed, of whom 

only one returned to glorify God, by giving Thanks to 
Jesus. Including a great Variety of Cases, wherein 
Jesus is expressly called God - 182 
$8. Luke xviii. 16. Jesus invites little Children to come 
unto him ; and thus teaches, that Access to him in 
the Spirit of Innocence and Humility qualifies for the 
Kingdom of Heaven - - - 18Q 



CONTENTS 
JOHN. 

Page 

Preliminary Observations - - - - - 187 

69. John i. 1, 3, 10, 14. God is declared to be the Word, or 

the Divine Truth, which was made Flesh, i. e. in the 
Person of Jesus - - - - ib. 

70. John i. 18. No mere Man hath seen God ; but the only- 

begotten Son, i. e. Jesus, hath both seen him, and 
made him manifest - - - - - 188 

71. John ii. 24, 25. Jesus knows all Men, and needs no 

Testimony concerning Man, because he knows what 

is in Man - _ ~ - - - 189 

72. John iii. 13. Jesus, as the Son of Man, is both in Hea- 

ven and on Earth at the same Time - 190 

73. John iii. 31. Jesus, who came from above, is above all, 

and therefore must be God - 191 

74. John iii. 34. Jesus receives the Spirit not by Measure, 

or partially, but in all it's Fulness, that is, infinitely 

or without Limitation - - - - 192 

75. John iii. 35. The Father gives all Things into the Hands 

of the Son Jesus - - - - - ib f 

76. John iii. 36. Faith in the Son, that is, in Jesus, secures 

everlasting Life - - - - - 194 

77. John iv. 14. Jesus gives the Water of everlasting Life ib, 

78. John v. 17, 18. Jesus makes himself equal with God - 195 

79. John v. 26. Jesus the Son hath Life in himself, in like 

Manner as the Father hath - - - - 197 

SO. John v. 40. Jesus complains, that Men will not come 

to him for Life - - - - - ib, 

81. John vi. 46. Jesus alone hath seen the Father - 198 

82. John vi. 51 to 54. Jesus is the living Bread, that came 

down from Heaven - - - - - ib. 

83. John vi. 63. The Words of Jesus are Spirit and Life 199 

84. John vi. 64. Jesus knew from the Beginning who were 

Unbelievers, and who would betray him - - ib, 

8,5. John vi. 67, 68. Jesus has the Words of eternal Life 200 

b 



CONTENTS. 

Page 

86. John vii. 18. Jesus is true, and no Unrighteousness is 

in him - - I- - - 200 

87. John vii. S7, 58. Jesus invites the thirsty to come unto 

him, and promises to supply them with living Water 202 

88. John vii. 46. Never Man spake like the Divine Man 

Jesus - * - - - - 204 

89. John viii. 19. To the Pharisees, who inquired of Jesus 

concerning his Father, he replies, that they knew not 
his Father, because they knew not him - - 206 

90. John viii. 24. The Necessity of believing, that Jesus is 

the Great I Am - - - - - 207 

91. John viii. 46. Jesus declares himself to be free from 

Sin. Including an Inquiry into the Reason why the 
City Jerusalem is called Jehovah our Righteous- 
ness - 208 

1>2* John viii. 58. The Pre-existence of Jesus before Abra- 
ham, yet in a Way that bears no Relation to the Suc- 
cessions of Time. Including a Key to the Temple of 
Wisdom, shewing the Difference between genuine 
and apparent Truths - 209 

96. John x, 14, 16. Jesus claims to be the One Good Shep- 
herd, equally with Jehovah - - - 216 

94. John x. 15, 18. Jesus lays down his Life of his own 

Accord, and takes it again by his own Power % 21$. 

95. John x. 27 to SO. Jesus declares himself to be the Giver 

of eternal Life, and expressly identifies himself with 
his Father - - - - - - ib, 

96. John x. S3. Jesus, being a Man, makes himself God - 219 

97. John xi. 25, 26. Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life 222 

98. John xi. 32. The Presence of Jesus a Security against 

Death - - = - - -223 

99. John xi. 43, 44. Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead - ib. 

100. John 3% 32. Jesus, when lifted up from the Earth, 

that is, when glorified, and acknowledged to be wholly 
Divine, draws all his Children unto himself - - 224 

1Q1, John xii. 37, 38, The Jews condemned for not believ- 



CONTENTS. 

PaGE 

ing Jesus to be the very Arm (or Humanity) of Je- 
dovAH - 226 

102. John xii. 44, 45. Faith in Jesus is at the same Time 

Faith in the Father - - - - - 227 

103. John xiii. 13. Jesus proclaims himself our Master and 

Lord - - - - - - 231 

104. John xiv. 1. Jesus enjoins his Disciples to believe in 

God, and also in Him - 232 

105. John xiv. 6. Jesus the Way, the Truth, and the Life 235 

106. John xiv. 7 to 9. Jesus instructs Philip, that whoso- 

ever sees him, at the same time sees the Father - 236 

107. John xiv. 13, 14. Jesus promises to answer Prayer, 

when offered in his Name, that is, when directed im- 
mediately to him, under an Acknowledgment that the 
Father is in him, as the Soul is in the Body - - 239 

108. John xiv. 16 to IS. Jesus identifies himself with the 

Comforter, though at the same Time he distinguishes 
between his Presence in Person, and his Presence in 
the Spirit of Truth - - - - - 241 

109. John xv. 5. The Ability of Man to do any Thing is 

entirely derived from Jesus - 243 

110. John xv. 23, 24. Jesus declares, that whosoever hat- 

eth him, hateth his Father also \ and that, he and the 
Father being one, he had therefore done such Works, 
as no other Man ever did - 244 

111. John xvi. 8, 9. Jesus says, the Comforter will reprove 

the World of Sin, because they believe not on him - i^ 

112. John xvi. 14. . The Spirit of Truth glorifies Jesus, in- 

asmuch as it receives of his, that is to say, because it 
proceeds entirely from him - 247 

113. John xvi. 15. All Things belonging to the Father are 

the Property of Jesus - 248 

114. John xvii. 3. Life eternal consists in knowing the Fa- 

ther and Jesus Christ the Son r - -249 

1-15. John xvii. 5. The Glorification of Jesus is his Union 
with the Father, or pure Divinity^ such as it was be- 
fore the World existed = 234 



^CONTENTS. 

Page 

116. John xvii. 10. AH Things belonging to the Father are 

the Property of Jesus, and all Things belonging to 
Jesus are the Property of the Father: or. in other 
"Words, the whole Divinity is Humanized, and the 
whole Humanity is Divinized, mutually and recipro- 
cally - - - - - - - 257 

117. John xviii. 53, 36, 37. Jesus acknowledges himself to 

be a King, though his Kingdom is not of this World. 
Including a Discussion of the Question, Whether Je- 
sus will ever give up the Kingdom to the Father, that 
God may be all in all - - - - 25 8 

118. John xx. 22, 23^ Jesus breathes upon his Disciples 

the Holy Spirit, and gives them Power to remit or re- 
tain Sins - - - - - 270 

119. John xx. 28, 29. Thomas acknowledges Jesus to be 

his Lord and his God - 272 

120. John xxi. 25. The World incapable of containing the 

Books, that should be written, were all the Acts of 
Jesus to be particularly described - 273 

THE APOCALYPSE. 

Preliminary Observations ----- 277 

121. Apoc. i. 6. Glory and Dominion are ascribed to Jesus 

Christ - - - - - - ih> 

122. Apoc. i. 10 to 18. A Description of Jesus as the Son 

of Man in the Midst of the seven golden Candle- 
sticks, similar to that of the Ancient of Days by the 
Prophet Daniel - 279 

123. Apoc. ii. 7. To him that overcometh Jesus gives to eat 

of the Tree of Life - - - - -283 

124. Apoc. ii. 10. Jesus promises to give to the faithful a 

Crown of Life - 285 

125. Apoc. ii. 17. Jesus gives to eat of the hidden Manna 286 

126. Apoc. ii. 21 to 23. Jesus gives the Woman Jezebel, 

or the perverted Church, Space to repent ; and, being 



contents; 

Page 

the Searcher of all Hearts, will deal with every one 
according to his Works - 287 

127. Apoc. v. 12 to 14. Jesus, or the Lamb, is accounted 

worthy to receive all Honour, in common with Him 
that sitteth upon the Throne - - 289 

128. Apoc. vi. 16, 17. Jesus, or the Lamb, equally with the 

Lord God Almighty, is an Object of Dread to the 
wicked ------ 292 

129. Apoc. vii. 9 to 12. An universal Glorification in Hea- 

ven, ascribing Salvation to God and the Lamb - 295 
ISO. Apoc. vii. 15 to 17. God and the Lamb equally the 

Source of Comfort and Happiness in Heaven - ib; 

131. Apoc. xi. 15. The Kingdoms of the World are become 

the Kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ - 296 

132. Apoc. xii. 10. Now is come the Kingdom of our God, 

and the Power of his Christ - - - 30& 

133. Apoc. xiv. 4. The hundred and forty -four thousand 

follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth, being the 
First-Fruits unto God and the Lamb - - 303 

134. Apoc. xvii. 14. The Lamb is the Lord of Lords, and 

King of Kings - 304 

135. Apoc. xix. 7, 9. The Marriage of the Lamb with his 

Church is a Source of Joy, and the Occasion of giving 
Honour to the Lord God Omnipotent - - 306 

136. Apoc xix. 10. The Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of 

Prophecy. Including Remarks on those Books, which 
are of Divine Authority in the Church - - 307 

137. Apoc. xix. 11 to 16. A Description of Jesus, applica- 

ble both to his Person and to his Word \ he being in 
each Respect called King of Kings, and Lord of Lords 313 

138. Apoc. xxi. 6, 7. Jesus declares himself to be Alpha 

and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Giver of 
Life, and the Supreme God - = - - 316 

139. Apoc. xxi. 22, 23. The Lord God Almighty and 

the Lamb are together the Temple of the New Jeru- 
salem - - - - 318 



CONTENTS. 

Page 

140* Apoc. xxi. 27. The Sacred Scripture is called the 

Lamb's Book of Life - - - - 320 

141. Apoc. xxii. 1. A River of Water of Life proceeds 

equally from the Throne of God and of the Lamb - 321 

142. Apoc. xxii. 3. 4. The Throne of God and of the Lamb 

is one and the same Throne, because both Names de- 
note only one and the same Divine Being - - 523 

143. Apoc. xxii. 12, 13. Jesus announces his Second Ad- 

vent in the Character of Alpha and Omega, the Begin- 
ning and the End, the First and the Last - - 5£6 

144. Apoc. xxii. 16. Jesus sends his Angel to testify these 

Things in the Churches - - - - 530 

Conclusion - 335 
Concluding Testimonies from the Sacred Scriptures, in Proof 
of the sole, supreme, and exclusive Divinity of our 
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ • «■ 340 



ADVERTISEMENT, 



THE great Question concerning the Person and Cha~ 
racter of Jesus Christ, has long agitated the Christian 
Church ; and never was the public Mind more earnestly en- 
gaged in the Inquiry, than it has been of late, and indeed 
still continues to be. Nay, we do not hesitate to declare our 
Conviction, that from this Date a new and still deeper Inter- 
est in every Thing that bears upon the Subject, will be ex- 
cited among religious Professors of every Denomination, 
For henceforth the Question will be, not as in Times past ? 
Whether the Saviour of the World be, or be not, a mere 
Participator in the Divine Nature, in common with two other 
supposed Persons, who have equal Claims to it with himself j 
but as it always ought to have been, Whether he be, or be 
not, the Sole, the Whole, or the Supreme God of the Universe 
himself. This is the true and proper Question, which is now 
put to the Public, to every Man that calls himself a Chris- 
tian* to the Reader of this Address in particular. And he 
is called upon, in the first Place, to reflect seriously in his 
own Mind, whether there can by any Possibility be more 
than One God, One proper Object of Worship, and consequent- 
ly One Divine Person upon the Throne of Heaven. In the 
next Place, let him consult the Sacred Scriptures, to see 
whether Jesus Christ be, or be not, this One Supreme God, 
And, lastly, if he cannot, with all the Aids hitherto put in 
his Way, obtain a full, clear, and satisfactory View of the 
Subject, not only consistent with the Divine Unity both as 
to Essence and as to Form, which must never be sacrificed 
to any human Invention, but consistent also with the various 
Passages, which at one Time distinguish between the Fa- 



ii : ADVERTISEMENT. 

ther and the Son apparently as two, and at another Time 
identify them most evidently as One ; then let him read this 
Work, which is now providentially submitted to his Notice, 
as a humble Medium of conveying to his Mind the true An- 
swer to the great Question above stated ; inasmuch as it un- 
folds, in a Way accommodated to the plainest Capacity, the 
genuine, undoubted Sense of Divine Revelation, on that most 
important of all Subjects, the Knowledge and Worship of the 
TRUE GOB* 



PREFACE, 



THE question concerning (be divinity of our Lord and 
Saviour Jesus Christ has in all ages of the church* since 
the times of Am us and the Council of Nice, divided the opi° 
nions of professing Christians. By far the majority of these* 
whether as Catholics or as Protestants, have adopted the 
idea of a Trinity of divine persons in the Godhead, all exist- 
ing from eternity, hut (what is singular enough) never once 
heard of, either among Jews or Christians, until some hun- 
dred years had elapsed after the Sacred Scriptures were 
written and published. The first person in rank they call 
the Father, the second the Son, and the third the Holy 
Ghost, By the Son, whom they suppose to have existed^/Vom 
eternity, in common with the other two persons, they under- 
stand Jesus Christ, not indeed as to his human nature, for 
this they allow to have been born in time, but only as to his 
divine nature, which they consider to be as complete a per- 
son in itself, as the divine nature of either the Father or the 
Holy Ghost. But it is observable, that, besides the divine 
person of the Son, which they say existed from eternity, they 
give to Jesus another person, which was born in time, and 
is merely human. And these two persons, the human and the 
divine, they actually separate the one from the other, plac- 
ing the divine not within the human, but out of and above it» 
And thus they first of all divide their God into three parts 
called persons, and then, in order to make a Saviour of the 
second part or person, they provide for him another addition- 
al person, consisting of mere flesh and blood, capable of re- 
ceiving and suffering the supposed vengeance and fierce in- 
dignation of the first divine person, and so atoning in body 



iv PREFACE. 

alone, for the sins of others committed in spirit and body to 
gether ! 

Such, in a few words, is the preposterous faith or doctrine 
concerning the person or rather persons of Jesus Christ, 
which is held by Trinitarians, who compose the great body of 
Christians (so called.) If they be asked, whether the addition- 
al person born in time, crucified, and raised from the dead*^ 
be possessed of divine attributes, such as omnipotence, omni- 
science, and omnipresence ; the orthodox and learned among 
them will unanimously answer in the negative ; because 
they consider the risen body of Jesus to be still material, as 
before. And if the inquiry be continued relative to the 
place, where this material body is now supposed to be, the 
question will be thought captious, and no answer whatever 
will be given to it, except what is contained in the Kubrick 
at the end of the communion-service of the Church of Eng- 
land. 

But there is another description of nominal Christians, 
who have long raised their voices against such an extraor- 
dinary medley of opinion, though themselves are not a whit 
nearer the truth of revelation than the former, if indeed they 
are so near. And these are called Unitarians, on account 
of their professing to believe in only One God, and rejecting 
the idea of a Trinity of divine persons. But not being agreed 
among themselves about the person of Jesus, they may pro- 
perly be divided into two classes, called Jlrians and Socini- 
ans. 

The Arian Unitarians are those among them, who admit 
the pre-existence of Jesus in heaven, long before his birth 
in the world : and consequently these allow him to be more 
than a mere man. Nay, they will even acknowledge him to 
be of higher dignity and authority, than any angel. But 
still they consider him to be only a creature like others, 
though the first that came out of the creating hands of his 
God, and the distinguished person, by whose instrumentality 



PREFACE. 



v 



tiie heavens, the earth, and all things therein, were original- 
ly brought into existence. Hence they place him at the 
head of creation, and suppose him qualified to superintend 
and govern the whole, in the name and on the behalf of the 
great God his Mi aster and Maker. 

The Soeinian Unitarians, on the other hand, are proper- 
ly those, who consider Jesus to have had no existence till 
his birth in the world; who suppose him to be a mere man 
like themselves, the real son of Joseph and Mary, and eon- 
sequently as having no claims, by birth or descent, superior 
to those of any other human being. 

As hefore observed, both of these classes take the name 
of Unitarians .•* and though they differ with each other re- 
specting the rank or quality of Jesus in the scale of existence? 
they are perfectly agreed in this, that he possesses in himself 
nothing of the character of a I)ivineBehig 9 nothing of the real 

* It is observable, that the Unitarians begin now to be actually ashamed of 
receiving their denomination from any mere man, except indeed the mere man 
Jesus Christ, whose name they have not as yet thrown off, whatever they may 
think proper to do hereafter. And truly there seems to be no sufficient rea= 
son why the name of one mere man may not be dropped, as well as that of 
another. But let us hear the argument on this point as out of the mouth of 
an Unitarian himself — " Arius and Socinus were both mere men : Must I take 
"my religious denomination from the name of either of them, merely because 
" I happen to approve of the doctrines, generally speaking, which they taught I" 
An intelligent Unitarian puts this question to himself : and he immediately 
answers, " No ; my denomination shall have some reference to the religious 
"principles I have embraced, and not to \hema?i, the mere instrument or chan* 
" nel, through whom they have come to me : it shall bear some respect to the 
K Great Object of my worship, the Supreme God himself, and not to any of 
" his ministers, messengers, or humble servants. I will therefore take and hold 
" to the name of Unitarian, because this involves the chief characteristic of 

"my religious profession — the acknowledgment of One God alone." "Pla- 

" to, thou reason'st well !" Now let us hear the grounds of thy assuming the 
name of Christian seeing that, according to thy creed, Jesus, like Arius 
and Socinus, is but a man / or at best but a finite creature ! Wilt thou stand 

to thy former argument ? No answer. ^Again we put the question,. 

But he refuses to reply ! \ \ 



ri 



PREFACE. 



perfection of a self -existent Deity, being at best no other than 
a mere creature, depending every moment for his existence on 
the good-pleasure of his bountiful Creator. The distinction? 
therefore, between the one and the other of these two class- 
es of Unitarians, amounts to no more than that, which dis- 
criminates the insect with wings of variegated beauty, from 
the insect that has none at all : the one is adorned with all the 
colours of the rainbow, and can fly aloft into the air, as into 
it's proper heaven ; while the other, totally destitute of the 
power to raise itself above the ground, is doomed to crawl 
upon it's native earth. But still, however splendid and gay 
the one, and however mean and grovelling the other, they 
are both equally worms, notwithstanding their varied ap- 
pearance, which may be considered as a distinction mform, 
without a difference in essence. So, comparatively speaking, 
while the Socinian Unitarian degrades the Saviour of the 
world to his own rank of mere humanity, and thus strips him 
of his power, as well as of his glory, his Jlrian brother is 
considerate enough to deck him out in an exterior garb of 
super-angelic beauty, but still admonishes him of his borrow- 
ed plumes and his original nothingness.* 

Thus the two classes of Unitarians, after setting out to- 
gether in good fellowship on a long and tedious journey, 
but differing with each other on the road, in a dark and 
dreary night part company at the entrance of a black forest, 
where losing and bewildering themselves in their respective 
paths, they at length meet again, as by accident ; and having 
saluted each other with tokens of returning friendship, mu- 
tually agree to travel the remainder of the way hand in hand. 

* In a conversation, which the Author had, in his own house in London., 
with the late Dr. Priestley, on this very subject, and in which he described 
the difference between Arianism and Socinianism in a way similar to the above, 
the Doctor acknowledged the justness of the comparison, and admitted, that 
both doctrines were fundamentally the same ; although, as a zealous profes- 
sor of Socinianism, he had warmly opposed the system of Ahius. 



PREFACE. vii 

But being wearied almost to death, and still perceiving no 
light to guide their steps, except what is furnished every 
now and then by transient meteors and flying exhalations, 
they sit down in anxious expectation of day-light, but in the 
mean time fall fast asleep ; in which situation and deplora- 
ble condition they still continue, even after the rising of the 
sun. But we have at last found them, before it was too 
late ; and shall now endeavour, with the trumpet we carry 
in our hand, to rouse them out of their dangerous lethargy : 
and while we put a seal upon their lips, we will do our ut- 
most to unseal their eyes, to unstop their ears, and to warm 
their frozen hearts, that they may run with alacrity and joy 
the way that is now pointed out ; for it leads to life, to hap- 
piness, and to heaven. 

In the following work we undertake to oppose and refute 
the sentiments of Unitarians of each class, and also of Tri- 
nitarians of every description, whether they be of the Romish 
or the Protestant persuasion, of the established or non-estab- 
lished churches, on the subject of the divinity of our Lord 
and Saviour Jesus Christ : for as they are all agreed in re- 
fusing to acknowledge his exclusive title to the sovereignty 
and dominion of the universe, we are under the necessity of 
ranking them all together as in some sort united, and «< tak- 
"ing counsel together against the Lord, and against his 
" Anointed," Ps. ii. 2. But we trust we shall be enabled 
to « hreak their hands asunder, and to cast away their cords 
"from its,' 9 ver. 3. In other words, we hope it will be made 
to appear, that neither the Unitarian nor the Trinitarian is 
in possession of the genuine truth, relative to the person 
and character of Jesus Christ; but that, while the former 
regards him as a mere man, or a mere creature even of su^ 
per-angelie order; and while the latter, allowing him in 
common with two other persons some portion of divinity, yet 
carefully separates even this small pittance from his huma- 
nity, and thus puts asunder what God has irreversibly and 



PREFACE. 



eternally united ; the Sacred Scriptures give full and unceas- 
ing testimony to the sole and exclusive divinity of our bless- 
ed Lord, whom they equally characterize, both in the 01$ 
and in (he New Testament, as the Only Father and Creator 
of the universe, the only Redeemer and Saviour of the world, 
and the only Regenerator and Comforter of his people. 

To this purpose we have brought forward, in the follow- 
ing sheets, besides a multitude of appropriate collateral quo- 
tations from the Old Testament, one hundred and forty-four 
direct evidences and proofs of the divinity of Jesus Christ, 
taken from (he Gospels and the Apocalypse, these being the 
only divine hooks belonging to the New Testament ; which 
live books may be considered as the Jive hooks of the Lamb, 
closing, winding up, and completing the canon of Sacred 
Scripture, in like manner as the Jive hooks of Moses begin 
it, And though we could have swelled our volume with ex- 
tracts and quotations, to the same effect as the above, from 
the Acts and Epistles of the Apostles, yet we have chosen 
to have recourse, for our authority, only to those testimo- 
nies, which we conceive to be absolutely divine, and to carry 
with them a power and efficacy unknown to any human writ- 
ing, however valuable and useful it may be in many other 
respects.* 

It may be of little consequence to the reader to know the 
occasion, which first gave rise to the following work : yet it 
may do him no harm to be made acquainted with it. A few 
years ago, when the Author resided in London, he was in- 
troduced by a friend to the company of some gentlemen, who 

* Here and there indeed we may give a quotation from, or reference to, 
some of the books here excepted from the Divine Code : but then it will be 
only by way of confirmation of the doctrine there advanced, for the sake of 
those, who know not as yet the distinction between those books which pro- 
ceed from the Lord, and those which proceed only from man, even from a good 
and pious man. But this subject will be seen more fully treated of jn a note 
under article 136, of the following work. 



PREFACE. 



ix 



were zealous promoters of the Unitarian doctrines. After 
much conversation with them on a variety of subjects, which 
engaged their attention, but particularly concerning their 
views of the person and character of Jesus Christ, he was 
surprised to hear, that they, with others of their friends, 
were at that very time actively employed in forming new 
societies in dilferent parts of the town, for the propagation of 
Unitarian principles, lie visited, on dilferent occasions, 
five or six of these societies, some of which were held public- 
ly, and some in private houses, to which no strangers had 
access, but those who were expressly invited. He heard 
their debates, and listened to their reasonings with all the 
eandour he was master of; and at times availed himself of 
the liberty, which was granted to any one in the company, 
of delivering his own sentiments without reserve. He after- 
wards made minutes of the principal subjects, that were 
from time to time brought upon the carpet : and having ob- 
served how easily some apparently upright minds were led 
astray by the fallacious reasonings urged by some of the more 
distinguished speakers among them, he formed the design 
of endeavouring, at some future opportunity, to counteract, 
according to the best of his ability, what appeared to him to 
be a most dangerous and fatal error. 

But on further reflection he was led to see, that, how- 
ever useful any honest exertions might prove in endeavour- 
ing to silence, by fair argument, the false reasonings of the 
Unitarian, there was perhaps an equal, if not (by reason of 
it's move general prevalence J a still greater danger to the 
simple and unwary, arising from the doctrines of what is 
usually called Trinitarianism. To enter the lists with both 
of these at one time, especially when it is considered that 
they arc separately furnished with horses, and chariots, and 
a great host of tvarriors of almost every description and 
rank, he thought might be accounted a matter of impru- 
dence, if not of presumption., on the part of a mere private. 



x 



PREFACE. 



an untitled individual. He was therefore inclined to remain 
a silent spectator of the passing events of the day : and so 
he has continued until very lately. But while he was mus- 
ing on the subject, again and again he as it were heard a 
voice saying to him, " Fear not; for they that be with us, 
" are more than they that he with them," 2 Kings vi. 16. And 
then looking up, and having his eyes as it were open, 66 he 
" saw, and lo I the mountain was full of horses and chariots 
"of fire round about, 99 ver. 17. Immediately he was inspir- 
ed with courage, because he knew that the battle was not 
his, but « the Lord's, 99 1 Sam. xvii. 47 : and thereupon an 
assurance Avas given him, that the hostile army would " be 
« smitten with blindness, so that they should not be able to 
" see, until they arrived in the midst of Samaria, (the true 
<« spiritual church,) where their eyes should be opened, and 
« themselves fed with abundance of provision," 2 Kings vi. 
.18 to 23. 

Under all these circumstances and considerations, the pre- 
sent work has been conceived, and is now at length brought 
forth, with a reasonable hope, that it may not only be found 
useful in confirming the faith of those who are already in 
possession of the truth, but that it may also become the 
means, under divine providence, of leading others out of a 
state of ignorance or doubt concerning the sole divinity of 
our Lord, into a rational, scriptural, and full conviction, that 
lie alone is possessed of all power both in heaven and on 
earth, agreeably to his own words in Matt, xxviii. 18 ; and 
consequently that he alone is the God of the church, the sin- 
gle Object to whom all worship ought ever to be directed, 
and thus the ever-living Jehoyah himself in a divinely-liur 
man form. 

Having thus stated the origin, nature, and design of the 
following work, which (as already noticed) consists of a va- 
riety of testimonies from the Sacred Scriptures in proof of 
the sole divinity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, 



PREFACE. 



taken in their plain and obvious sense, together with reflec- 
tions as well on the celestial doctrine, which they so abun- 
dantly confirm, as on the Unitarian and Trinitarian doc- 
trines, which they so decidedly annul ; it remains only to be 
further observed by the Author, that he submits the whole 
to the unbiassed judgment and candour of the public ; trust- 
ing, that, as it has been written in the spirit of charity, and 
with a sincere desire to promote the spiritual welfare of the 
reader, it will be received by him in the same spirit, what- 
ever may be the effect produced by it upon his understanding. 

He is well aware, that a subject so truly great and impor- 
tant, in every point of view, as that which he has undertaken 
to handle and defend, is worthy of a far abler pen, than that 
which it has fallen to his lot to possess. He is also con- 
scious, that there must be many imperfections in the execu- 
tion of this plan, for which he hopes a favourable allowance 
will be made ; as he has done his best to set forth and extol 
a Name, which to him has long appeared infinitely to excel 
all other names. And though he is sure, that he has writ- 
ten nothing with a view to offend either Unitarian or Trini- 
tarian, either Catholic or Protestant, yet should any expres- 
sion have escaped his pen, calculated to inflict a wound upon 
either of them, or to give pain to a single individual, he 
would willingly erase it from his paper, and would beg the 
reader to erase also the memory of it from his mind. He 
has no personal enemies that he knows of; and he seeks 
not to make any. The erroneous sentiments of a man he 
considers as distinguishable from the man himself: and if 
at times he is found to oppose the former with much free- 
dom and plainness, he would yet wish to love, respect, and 
honour the latter in a suitable and becoming manner. 

With these sentiments of friendship and esteem for all, 
who in any respect bear the image and likeness of the com- 
mon Parent of mankind, he concludes these observations $ and 

d 



xil PREFACE. 

sincerely hopes, that the work itself, to which they serve 
as an introduction, may prove acceptable to the reader, and 
productive of lasting benefit to the community at large. 

Egbert Hindmarsh, 

Salford, Manchester. Feb, 18, 1814=58, 



A SEAL 

UPON THE LIPS OF 

UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, 

&c. &c. 



S( The Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy." Apoc. xix. 10. 



MATTHEW, 



[PRELIMINARY.] 

WE are well aware, that it is the opinion of many Unita- 
rians, particularly those who have heretofore been known by the 
name of Socinians, that our Lord Jesus Christ was either the 
legitimate or illegitimate offspring of Joseph ; and consequently 
that his conception no more partook of a miraculous character 
and quality, than the conception of any other man. This senti- 
ment has been distinctly avowed by some of the principal wri- 
ters among them, who have not hesitated to call in question 
the authenticity of the first chapter of Matthew's Gospel, as 
well as some other parts of divine revelation, and for no other 
reason, but because it announces in the plainest language, that 
Jesus, so far from being a mere man, or the son of a mere 
man, was in reality of divine extraction ; nay, that, though as to 
his exterior body of flesh and blood he was born of a woman, yet 

. A 1 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OP 



as to his interior essence and form he was no less than Emmanu- 
el himself, that is to say, God with us. But as we do not, out 
of complaisance to the opinion of Unitarians, or of any other de- 
scription of professing Christians, chuse to forego the advantage 
so fairly offered us in the introduction to this Gospel, we shall 
endeavour to avail ourselves of the divine truth which it contains, 
in common with the succeeding chapters, to establish and confirm 
a doctrine, which appears to us to be the sum and substance of 
all revelation. 

Our arguments are not confined to any one chapter, or exclu- 
sively drawn from particular passages, which have been marked 
out as liable to objection in point of authenticity ; but they spring 
up as it were spontaneously from almost every chapter in each of 
the Gospels, from almost every fact and circumstance recorded 
in the life of Jesus. Yet, in comparison with what remain be- 
hind, we have only selected a few of the most prominent, to lay 
before the reader, which, like the advanced guard of a powerful 
army, are thought to be of themselves quite sufficient to put to 
flight the united legions of the enemy, without drawing from the 
great body of reserve an unnecessary force, which however is al- 
ways at hand, and in readiness to act as occasion may require. 

With respect to Trinitarians, who form an army of a different 
description from that of Unitarians, and who are in general at 
war with these latter, but by no means in settled amity with us ; 
we shall frequently have occasion to break ground with them 
also, and shall in the end, we hope, reduce them at least to the 
necessity of capittdation, if we do not (as is rather expected) 
make them all unconditional prisoners of war. We are not, how- 
ever, cruel, merciless banditti, that make war for the sake of 
plunder, and to the crime of robbery add that of murder. At the 
very sight of distress even in an enemy, our hearts melt within 
US % and when he asks for quarter, we not only spare his life, but 
give him the hand of friendship, take him under our protection, 
and cause him to participate with us in all our comforts and de- 
lights. And this we do by the especial order and recommendation 
of our Sovereign, who, though the Captain of our host, Josh, 
v. 14 : Deut. i. SO, has yet obtained among us the deserved title 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, & c . 



S 



of Father of his people, and Prince of peace, Isa. ix. 6 ; 
John xiv. 9, 27. From him alone this sentiment of love and affec- 
tion is derived: his voice, his presence, his name inspires it: and 
while it's influence spreads among our ranks, every bosom is ex- 
panded, every heart is elate with joy, and every tongue proclaims, 
that he is Lord of lords, and King of kings, Apoc. xvii. 14; 
chap. xix. 16. 



[1.] MATT. i. 18 to 21. « Now the birth of Jesus Christ 
" was on this wise : When as his mother Mary was espoused to 
Si Joseph, before they came together, she was found ivith child of 
" the Holy Spirit.* Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, 
" and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to 
" put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, 
" behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, 
" saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee 
" Mary thy wife 5 for that which is conceived in her is of the. 
6i Holy Spirit. And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shall 
" call his name Jesus ; for he shall save his people from their 
" sins." See also Luke i. 26 to 35 ; chap. ii. 11. 

Here two things are expressly and distinctly stated in refe- 
rence to Jesus, which cannot be applied to any mere man, no nor 

* The reader is requested to observe, that, instead of the word Ghost, 
which is now nearly obsolete, or scarcely ever used in the English language, 
except in a low sense, to denote a mere phantom or spectre, we have for the 
most part adopted the term Spirit, as being preferable in every respect. The 
rule, by which we have been governed in the use of these terms, in the fol- 
lowing work, is this. Whensoever we quote from the Sacred Scriptures, or 
speak in agreement with them, or with genuine doctrine derived from them, 
we invariably use the word Spirit, or Holy Spirit, as the case may be. But, 
on the other hand, whensoever we speak of a trinity of persons in the divine na- 
ture, as maintained by Trinitarians, whose real name is more properly Tripev- 
sonalists, on such occasions we use the term Ghost or Holy Ghost, as better 
suited to express their idea of the subject, than the phrase Holy Spirit, 
Which we have uniformly retained in delivering our own sentiments. 



4 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



to any angel of heaven, however high and pre-eminent may be his 
character in the great scale of creation ; namely, 1st, That he 
was conceived of the Holy Spirit 5 and 2dly, That he shall save 
his people from their sins. 

With respect to the first point, it is to be observed, that the 
Holy Spirit is the divine virtue, power, and operation of Jeho- 
vah God himself, producing a visible human form, wherein the 
invisible essence of Deity may reside and be contained. But as 
the divine essence is in itself one and indivisible, incapable of se- 
paration into distinct personalities, in the manner of human pro- 
pagation from a father to a son, it follows, that the body produc- 
ed by conception from Jehovah must be not only of the same 
essence with it's Father, but identically one and the same person 
as to it's interior substance, though as to the exterior and infirm 
substance derived from the mother Mary, it was in the sight and 
estimation of the world distinct from the Father. This difference 
between what was derived from Jehovah the Father, and what 
was derived from Mary the mother, ought to be well attended to 
in reading the Gospels, because it is the only true key to the 
right understanding of many parts of those heavenly and divine 
writings. It removes at once the apparent discordances of their 
literal sense in relation to the person and character of Jesus, and 
opens a rational and satisfactory view of the fundamental doc- 
trines of the Christian religion. 

With respect to the second point, viz. that he shall save his 
people from their sins, this properly and necessarily flows from 
the first, and moreover confirms what has been already advanced. 
For who but a divine person is entitled to the appellation of Sa- 
viour? who but Jehovah himself, the Creator and Preserver of 
the universe, can deliver his creatures from the power, the guilt, 
and the consequences of sin ? The highest archangel in heaven 
is totally incompetent to so divine a labour. How then can it be 
ascribed to a mere man, to a worm, who himself stands in need 
of salvation, , in common with his fellow -delinquents ? But the 
question is for ever decided by an authority, which cannot be dis - 
puted : « 1" am Jehovah, and beside me there is no Saviour?' 
Isa. xliii, 11. " J Jehovah am thy Saviour and Redeemer?' Isa, 



1 



UNITARIANS , TRINITARIANS, &c. 



xlix. 26. Incontrovertibly therefore it follows, that the Divine 
Essence, called Jehovah the Father, or the Supreme God, de- 
scended himself into the world, by incarnation in the womb of a 
virgin, for the purpose of saving his people from their sins.* And 
this salvation is equally ascribed to Jesus and to Jehovah, be- 
cause by both names is understood one and the same Divine Be- 
ing, though standing in different relations to his creature, man. 
The very name Jesus also signifies a Saviour ;t and we have al- 
ready seen, that Jehovah is the only Saviour, and the only Re- 
deemer : from which considerations no other conclusion can be 
fairly drawn, than that above stated, viz. that Jesus and Jeho- 
vah are one and the same. 

To this may be added another confirmation from the mouth of 
Jehovah by the hand of his evangelical prophet, " I am Jehovah, 
*' that is my name, and my glory will I not give to another," Isa. 
xlii. 8. The glory of Jehovah arises from Ms character of Crea- 
tor, Redeemer, and Regenerator of mankind $ the two last of which 
characters are included in that of Saviour. Now if Jesus were 
a mere man, or an angel, or a seraph, or a demigod, in short, were 
he any other than the Supreme God himself clothed with human 
nature, it could not in truth be said of him, that he shall save his 
people from their sins : for this would be no less than robbery 
against the Majesty of heaven, on the part of the man who should 
presume to assert it : and on the part of Jehovah, it would be. 
the complete translation of his power, his honour, and his glory ? 
from himself to some other being incapable of receiving the gift* 
which nevertheless cannot for a moment be admitted even by the 
most distant thought, because it is expressly forbidden by the di- 
vine jealousy, founded on the divine perfections. But according 
to the testimony of the Holy Spirit, which dictated the holy Gos- 
pels, the hidden or invisible Jehovah has given or transferred 

* When it is asserted, that Jehovah the Father, or the Supreme God him- 
self, descended into the world, and became incarnate, it is to be understood, 
that he did so particularly in respect to the divine truth, which is the Word, 
as in John i. 1, 14. 

f Nay, even Jehovah Saviour. See Mr. Parkhurst's Greek Lexicon, art. 
Jesus. — Am, Pub 



s 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



his glory, his honour, and his power, together with every other 
attribute of divinity, not indeed from himself, because that is im- 
possible, but to his own visible, manifested, and divine form, 
which proceeded from, and is eternally united with, his divine es- 
sence. In other words, the Father has given all things into tlie 
hand of his Son Jesus, John iii. 35; chap. xiii. 3; chap. xvi. 
15 : and yet he still retains all that he so gives ; just as the soul 
of a man may be said to retain all it's powers, although they are 
communicated to, and actually exercised by, his body. 

In agreement with these sentiments are the folio wing words of 
the Lord : " All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth," 
Matt, xxviii. 18. " Ml things that the Father hath, are mine" 
John xvi. 15. " All mine are thine, and thine are mine," chap, 
xvii. 10. Jesus said, " My Father worketh hitherto, and I work," 
chap. v. 17 : that is, the Divinity and the Humanity unite in the 
great work of redemption and salvation. " Verily verily I say 
" unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth 
" the Father do : for what things soever he doth, these also doth 
" the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth 
4< him all things that himself doth. For as the Father raiseth up 
" the dead, and quickeneth them ; even so the Son quickeneth whom 
" he will. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all 
"judgment unto the Son : That all men should honour the Son, 
" even as they honour the Father," chap. v. 19 to 23. " land the 

Father are One," chap. x. 30. 

In all these passages by the Father and the Son are meant the 
Divinity and the Humanity of one and the same God. Hence what- 
ever character, whatever power, whatever honour, whatever per- 
fection, is inherent in, or ascribed to, the one, the same is of right 
and necessity claimed and exercised by the other also 5 which 
could never by any possibility have been the case, were not the 
Father and the Son, the Divinity and the Humanity, the essence 
and the form, that is to say, Jehovah and Jesus, one and the 
same infinite^ eternal, undivided, and adorable God. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



[2.] Matt. i. 22, 23. " Now all this was done, that it might be 
" fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 
« Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a Son, 
« and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpret - 
" ed is, God with us." 

it 

This passage, immediately succeeding the former, confirms every 
sentiment hitherto advanced, and in one word announces the true 
character and title of Jesus. We take it for granted, that the read- 
er will permit us to proceed upon the supposition, or rather upon 
the full acknowledgment, of there being only One God, and that this 
One God is undivided both in essence and in person. Then we 
say, that if the child conceived of the Holy Spirit, if the Son 
brought forth by a virgin, be in deed and in truth, as here denomi- 
nated, Emmanuel, or God with us, he must, however extraor- 
dinary or incredible the assertion in the estimation of some 
minds, be no other than the supreme and one only God of heaven 
and earth. There cannot, in the nature of things, be one God in, 
heaven, and another God on the earth ; there cannot be one God 
with angels, and another God ivith us men. Neither can one pari 
of the Deity be above, and another part below ; one part here, 
and another part somewhere else.* The whole Beit if must there- 

* The common idea of the divine omnipresence is fundamentally erroneous, 
because it bears respect to mere space, which is only a relation of matter. 
According to such an idea, the Divine Being 1 , in order to be everywhere pre* 
sent, must of necessity be extended, and diffused through all space : the con- 
sequence of which would be, that one part of him only would be here, and 
another part there. The true idea of the divine omnipresence can only be ob- 
tained by removing- from the mind every consideration of space, as well as 
of time : and then it may be seen, that God is omnipresent without having* 
any relation whatever to spaces or times, or in any way commixing himself 
witji them ; just as, comparatively speaking, the soul of a man is omnipre- 
sent in every part of it's body, yet without bearing any relationto body, with- 
out being extended with the body, or in the smallest degree commixing itself 
with the material substances composing the body. Hence, as the itthole sou: 
is, in every part of the body, yet not commixed or extended with it, so as to be 
a part here, and a part there >• in like manner, but at th-5 same time infinitely 



8 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



fore have been present in that holy and divine person, who is so 
emphatically styled Emmanuel, or God with us ; and although, 
in respect to the infirm body or covering of mere flesh and blood, 
he was an infant like other infants, with senses, appetites, and 
affections, similar to those of other men, yet in respect to the es- 
sential divinity within him, which was his very life and soul, he 
was still the infinite, eternal, " the mighty God, the everlasting 
a Father, and the Prince of peace" Isa. ix. 6. 

But it is nevertheless an important truth, that this divine soul, 
though in itself completely omnipresent in it's body, was not at 
first manifestly, sensibly, and fully perceived : it was as yet a la- 
tent Divinity ; a fountain of life, whose head indeed was cover- 
ed, but whose streams were silently and imperceptibly flowing 
in the channels of Humanity; a sun of righteousness, whose 
beams were indeed irradiating the heavenly worlds, and just be- 
ginning to break through the clouds of nature; in short, it 
was the invisible Jehovah himself, who, unwilling any longer 
to conceal his divine person and perfections from his creaWes, 
was in the act of bringing himself down to their view, but in 
the mercy of accommodation to their states, still with -held the 
full blaze of his glory from their eyes, and hid himself under the 
veil of a merely human form, until by divine means they were 
prepared to behold his face. Well then did the prophet describe 
this new and extraordinary situation of the great Jehovah in a 
body of flesh: " Surely God is in thee, and there is none else: 
verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel the 
Saviour" Isa. xlv. 14, 15. 

The doctrine, therefore, which is here announced, is no new 
doctrine, but is as old, and as true, as the Word of prophecy it- 
self. It was to be expected, that when Jehovah did come in- 
above all comparison, the Divine Being, as a -whole, and not as a pari, is pre- 
sent in every individual substance of the created universe, yet without being 
in any sense of the word either commixed or extended with it : so that it can 
never be said of him, that he is partly here, and partly there j but he must 
ever be regarded as a -whole and complete God, being everywhere alike present 
with all his fidne&s, that is, with the totality of his divine essence, however im 
perceptible and incomprehensible it may be to the creature. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



9 



to the world, in the character of Messiah, Christ, or Immanu- 
el, he would make his appearance precisely as he is reported to 
have done, as an obscure Man, with-bolding for a time even from 
his disciples and humble followers, and to the last from his ene- 
mies, the haughty self-righteous and worldly-wise, the full and 
direct knowledge of his divine nature. Hence the prophet again 
declares, " He hath no form nor comeliness : and when we shall 
" see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is 
" despised and rejected of men : we hid as it were our faces from 
"him; he was despised and we esteemed him not" Isa. liii. 2, 3. 
Yet, regardless of this notice, both Jews and Christians nave been 
looking for an external pomp and splendor to mark his person 
and his steps : but being disappointed herein, the former have re- 
jected him altogether as their Messiah, while the latter have de- 
graded him, some to the rank of a demigod, like the Athanasian 
Trinitarians ; some to that of a super-angelical but still a created 
being, like the Arian Unitarians ; and others again to that of a 
mere man, like the Socinian Unitarians. Thus none of them have 
as yet acknowledged him to be, because none of them have un- 
derstood how he could be, singly and exclusively the Supreme 
God of the universe, under the veil or disguise of human nature, 
and therein presenting himself to his creatures as their long-ex- 
pected Messiah, Redeemer, and Saviour ; in one word, as their 
Emmanuel, which being interpreted is God with us. So tru- 
ly applicable are those words of the Evangelist, " He was in the 
& world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him 
"not," John i. 10. And again, " He came unto his own and his 
i& own received him not." ver. 11 : that is to say, even they, who 
were in possession of divine revelation, and who on that account 
might be supposed to form a just estimate of the person and cha- 
racter of the Messiah or Christ, either from blindness discern- 
ed not his sole and exclusive divinity, or else from wickedness 
refused to acknowledge it. But now (thanks be to heaven !) light 
has risen upon the earth, and all who are willing to open their 
eyes, may behold their God (Isa. xl. 9.) arrayed in all the Majes- 
ty of a Divine Human Form; and thus beholding him, they 

B 



10 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



may fall down at his sacred feet, 44 and worship him that liveth 
64 for ever and ever," Apoc. iv. 10 ; chap. v. 14. 

It may be proper in this place to notice an objection, which has 
been started against the authenticity of Matthew's Gospel, from 
the circumstance of his quoting the prophecy of Isaiah, chap. vii. 
14, relative to the birth and name of the child to be born, and ap- 
plying the same to Jesus, yet without giving him the name Im- 
manuel or Emmanuel, as the passage quoted appears to require. 

The immaculate conception is denied by the greater part of 
Unitarians, who consider the allusion here made to Isaiah's pro- 
phecy to be a mere interpolation, improperly applied to the birth 
of Jesus : and after all, say they, 44 the terms of the prophecy, 
44 even as adduced by the designing priests themselves, were not 
" realized in the name which was actually given him, first by the 
" angel, ver. 21, and afterwards by Joseph, ver. 25. A prophecy 
" is quoted* which expressly says, they shall call his name Em- 
" manuel ; yet, as if in defiance of the prediction, prescribing 
44 what their conduct ought to be on the occasion, the writer, af- 
44 ter citing his authority for one name, concludes with giving him 
44 another : for his name was called Jesus, and not Emmanuel." 

Such is the kind of argument adopted by those, who form their 
judgment of the Sacred Writings by the same rule as that, where- 
by human or comparatively profane writings are measured. Hav- 
ing no conception that the Word was written chiefly for the use 
of those who are in the spiritual world, where the incalculable 
majority of human intelligences are assembled, and subordinately 
for the use of those few who live in the natural world, they re- 
duce all wisdom and intelligence to their own petty standard of 
the obvious, plain, and literal construction of words and facts ; 
never for a moment suspecting, that the Divine Records, which 
apply to all ages, to all worlds, and to all states of the human 
race, must necessarily be couched in such natural terms, as by 
the laws of divine order and correspondency shall have the effect 
of conveying and perpetuating, at one and the same moment, 
natural, spiritual, and celestial instruction, adapted to the several 
capacities of human and angelic minds. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



11 



After this statement of an objection, which has been urged 
against the authenticity of the first part of Matthew's Gospel, it 
will be proper to give such explanation of the passage in ques- 
tion, as, it is hoped, will have a tendency to remove any impres- 
sion unfavourable to the letter of Scripture, which may have been 
made on the minds of those, who have either now for the first 
time become acquainted with the objection, or who have previous- 
ly heard it repeated. 

We say then, that the prophecy was spiritually accomplished 
in the Lord, even as it respected the name whereby he was to be 
called, as well as the name whereby he actually was called ; for 
in the spiritual sense, or what amounts to the same thing, in the 
genuine sense, both names are strictly coincident, and both names 
announce the divinity of his person, as well as the divinity of his 
office. Emmanuel, beyond the shadow of contradiction, imports 
God with us ; and as there is, and can be, but one God, so this 
one God must necessarily be that same Divine Being, who in 
other parts of the Scripture is variously named, according to the 
various attributes, qualities, and perfections of Deity, which the 
various states of the church described require to be applied, exer- 
cised, or announced. Hence we find him sometimes called Jeho- 
vah, sometimes Jehovah God, Jehovah Zebaoth, Lord Je- 
hovjh, God both in the singular and plural number in the origi- 
nal, God of Israel, King of Israel, Holy One of Israel, 
Creator, Saviour, Redeemer, Shaddai, Rock, Lord 5 and 
in the New Testament sometimes Father, sometimes Son, and 
sometimes Holy Spirit; also Lion of the tribe of Judah, 
Lamb of God, Alpha and Omega, King of kings, Lord 
of Lords, &c. &c. : but from the circumstance of his being con- 
versant with men in the humanity which he assumed, and appear- 
ing therein as another man, he is usually called Jesus. This lat- 
ter name did not indeed excite among the Jews an idea of his di- 
vine origin or essence, for they were not prepared to admit of a 
truth so sublime, and so contrary to all appearance ; and there- 
fore to prevent the evil of profanation, in addition to the other 
crimes of that nation, the Lord was announced to them by the 
*>ame of Jesus, which externally conveyed to them the notion of 



1% A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 

a mere man, but internally involves all that is meant or signified 
by Emmanuel or God himself incarnate. The term Jesus 
signifies a Saviour $ on which account it is added, as the reason 
for so naming him, "/or he shall save his people from their sins." 
Now the Supreme God, Jehovah himself, is in the Old Testament 
constantly and solemnly declared to be the alone Saviour and Re- 
deemer of men 5 and for this evident reason, because no other 
power in heaven or on earth can possibly be found available in the 
great work of salvation. Hear the language of Truth itself: 
" Thus saith Jehovah that created thee, I am Jehovah God, 
" the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour ; and beside me there is 
" no Saviour" Isa. xliii. 1, 3, 11. " All flesh shall know, that I 
"Jehovah am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One 
" of Jacob," chap. xlix. 26 5 chap. lx. 16. " I am Jehovah thy 
" God, and thou shalt know no God but me 5 for there is no Sa- 
" viour beside me," Hosea xiii. 4. To multiply passages of this 
description, must be unnecessary, because the doctrine here as- 
serted is manifest. Hence it follows, that whether the Lord be 
named Jesus, or whether he be named Emmanuel, he is equally 
the same Jehovah, the same God, the same Redeemer, and the 
same Saviour, who is invariably understood by both names. 

But will it be objected, that the salvation wrought by Jesus 
was of another character, and different from that which is as- 
cribed to the great Jehovah ? or that Jesus was merely through 
courtesy called a Saviour, as the subordinate agent of another 
who is God, while he himself is but an instrument, a messenger, 
a mortal man ? Then truly by the same mode of reasoning we 
may infer, that Jehovah the High and Holy One can do nothing 
by himself, or by his own divine arm ; that he cannot save, but 
by another, to whom he delegates the power, the name, and the 
glory of a Saviour ; that he cannot redeem, but through the 
agency of a subordinate being, to whom he lends his omnipotence, 
as well as the other essential attributes of divinity ; and finally, 
that he cannot create, but through the medium of a creature' 
which is the last step of the climax of absurdity, to which the 
reasoning leads, and where on a sudden it stops, self -arrested, 
self-convicted, ai*d self-condemned. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



SI 



But fortunately such objections were long ago anticipated and 
refuted by the prophet Isaiah, who has saved us the trouble of 
wandering out of the direct path of revelation, to arm ourselves 
with less powerful weapons of defence. " I am Jehovah, that 
(i is my name, and my glory will I not give to another" Isa. xlii, 
S. As much as to say, " I am the sole fountain of life ; I am the 
" author and preserver of all beings, whether in heaven or on 
« earth; and to me alone must be ascribed, from first to last, all 
" honour, glory, might, majesty, and dominion." But "who is 
66 this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah ? 
<£ this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of 
" his strength ? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. I 
" have trodden the wine-press alone, and of the people there was 
" none with me. I looked, and there was none to help ; and I 
" wondered that there was none to uphold : therefore mine own 
" arm brought salvation unto me, and my fury it upheld me. He 
" said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie : so 
" he was their Saviour : in his love and in his pity he redeemed 
* £ them," Isa. lxiii. 1 to 9. 

The whole of the preceding description is clearly that of a 
God-Man, and not that of a mere man, who has no power to save 
himself, much less to redeem and save others. Whence again it 
unavoidably results, that the name Jesus, which implies a Sa- 
viour, and the name Emmanuel, which signifies God with us, do 
both in the genuine sense of the Sacred Scripture exclusively be- 
long to one and the same Divine Being, and announce attributes, 
powers, and perfections, which can be ascribed to none other. 
For if salvation be a work purely divine, and if the presence of 
God with man be necessary to effect that work, then, the term? 
being correlative, wherever the one is named, the other must al- 
so be understood. 

Having thus obviated an objection, which has been triumphant- 
ly levelled against the authenticity and sanctity of divine inspi- 
ration ; and having seen, that out of the inquiry occasioned there- 
by still greater evidence arises in it's favour, because a seeming 
imperfection in the letter is outweighed by more than it's propor- 
tionate perfection in the spirit, it is recommended to all the wor~ 



14 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



shippers of Jesus as Immanuel, to be careful how they admit of 
doubts concerning the perfection or authenticity of the Sacred 
Scriptures in the original languages, especially when those doubts 
are suggested by persons, who have no conception whatever even 
of the very existence of another sense beyond that which is ap= 
parent in the mere letter. Without injustice to such characters, 
it may be truly said, that, having previously adopted a particular 
doctrine of their own, evidently and by their own confession not 
drawn from a collation of the whole Word, but of certain parts 
only, they cut and square the Oracles of divine wisdom just as 
the caprice and deformity of their own imagination may require. 
Hence, if they meet with a passage in Matthew, or in Luke, or 
in any other of the inspired books, which seems to oppose their 
idea of the natural descent of Jesus, and to present him to our 
view as God himself clothed with Humanity, they have instant 
recourse to the Alexandrian method of deciding knotty ques- 
tions ; instead of unravelling, expounding, and clearing up the 
difficulty by a candid appeal to other parts of the divine-iestimo- 
ny, and the fair exercise of reason enlightened by revelation, they 
seize the sword, and cut the knot, by voting the passage in ques- 
tion to be a downright forgery, an artful interpolation, a mere im- 
position of some unknown and hitherto unheard-of priest. They 
accordingly mark it in their printed Bibles as such, and teach 
their children to do the same. 

From the importance of the subject, this article has been ex- 
tended beyond the limits proposed. But as the conclusions de- 
rived from it are applicable to many other parts of the Word, it 
is hoped that the observations, which have been submitted to the 
candour and good sense of the reader, will be found serviceable, 
not only in removing doubts concerning the sanctity and authenti- 
city of the books of revelation, but also in establishing, as the 
very first and most essential of all the doctrines of the true Chris- 
tian religion, the sole, supreme, and exclusive divinity of our 
blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Chkist. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



i 5 



[3.] Matt, ii.' 1, 2, 11. " Now when Jesus was born in Beth- 
" lehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king, behold, there 
« came wise-men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he 
44 that is born King of the Jews ? for we have seen his star in the 

ea^st, and are come to worship him. And when they were come 
44 into the house (where Jesus was,) they saw the young Child 
44 with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him : 
44 and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto 
44 him gifts ; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh." 

When it is considered, that the chief design of all revelation 
is to put an end to idolatry, and to lead men to the knowledge 
and worship of the true God, it is impossible to read this passage 
without perceiving either that the Evangelist has mistaken his -ob- 
ject,. or else that the infant child Jesus was worthy to receive the 
divine honours paid him by the wise -men of the east. But the 
former supposition cannot for a moment be admitted, because the 
whole tenour of the Old Testament leads us to expect the coming* 
of Jehovah in the form of a Man, and the whole body of the New 
teaches that he actually did so come. The example, therefore, 
which the wise-men hold out to the rest of mankind, of prostrat- 
ing themselves at the feet of him, whom they came from afar for the 
sole purpose of worshipping, added to the countenance and re- 
commendation which is given it at the very commencement of the 
Evangelical Word, is evidence of the first order that the genuine 
spirit of the true Christian religion, the very life and soul of the 
succeeding revelation, consists in the acknowledgment and humble 
adoration of the Great God himself thus made manifest in the 
flesh. The star seen in the east is the light of revelation, or 
knowledge from heaven, leading and directing those, who are ca- 
pable of understanding it, to bring all their gifts of pure and ho- 
ly worship to him, who is alone entitled to receive them, and wha 
in return enriches the worshipper with the sight, the presence.,, 
and the love of his God. 



16 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



[4.] Matt. iii. 3. " This [John the Baptist] is he that was 
" spoken of by Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one cry- 
" ing in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make 
"his paths straight." See also chap. xi. 7 to 14. Mark i. 2, S. 
Luke iii. 4. John i. 23. 



The passage here quoted from the prophet Isaiah is to be found 
in chap. xl. 3, and is there expressed in the following terms : 
" The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the 
" way of Jehovah, make straight in the desert a highway for our 
" God." The term Jehovah in the Old Testament, when re- 
ferred to in the New, is uniformly rendered Lord ; and this lat 
ter term being constantly applied to Jesus, evidently as a sub- 
stitute for the name Jehovah, at once determines the sense, in 
which we are to understand the prophet's words, and authorizes 
os to consider Jehovah and Jesus as one and the same God 
and Lord ; with this only difference, that Jehovah denotes the 
Lord not yet come into the world, or not yet incarnate ; whereas 
Jesus or the Lord denotes Jehovah actually appearing in the 
world in the form of a Man, or, as it is well expressed by the 
apostle Paul, God manifest in the flesh. This also appears to be 
one reason why in those passages of the New Testament, which 
are parallel with others in the Old, the term Lord is used in- 
stead of Jehovah. To which may be added this further obser- 
vation, that when the Old Testament was written, the Lord was 
properly Jehovah ; but when the New Testament was written, 
Jehovah was and is properly the Lord. 

Again : John the Baptist is admitted by all, who make a pro- 
fession of Christianity, to have been the precursor of Jesus as 
the Messiah, or the Christ ; which indeed John expressly de- 
clares of himself in John iii. 28. But the passage now under 
consideration announces him to be at the same time the forerun- 
ner of Jehovah himself, making straight in the desert a highway 
for our God. Can language be more explicit in holding out to 
mankind, that Jesus and Jehovah, Christ and God, though 
distinguished by different names according to the different rela- 
tions arising from visible form and visible essence, are still onr 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 17 

and the same Divine Being, coming into the world to visit his 
creatures, and to bless them with his presence ? 



[5.] Matt. iii. 11, 12. John the Baptist said, " I indeed bap- 
tize you with water unto repentance 5 but he that cometh after 
66 me, is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear ; 
" he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with fire : 
« Whose fan. is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his 
"floor, and gather his ivheat into the garner: but he will burn 
" up the chaff with unquenchable fire." See also Mark i. 7, 8. 
Luke iii. 16, IT. John i. 15, 26, 27. 

" Among them that are born of women," says our Lord, Matt, 
xi. 11, "there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist:" 
and yet this same John declares of himself, that he is not worthy 
to bear even the shoes of Jesus. Such an expression of humilia- 
tion and self-abasement can never be justified, as proper for one 
mortal man to make to another ; still less when we consider, that it 
was uttered by one, who, with respect to dignity of character and 
office, yielded to neither prophet, priest, nor king, among all the 
sons of Adam that had preceded him. John, therefore, in bear- 
ing such high testimony of Jesus, instructs us, that he was more 
than a mortal man ; and that we also in our turn ought to bow 
down to him, in acknowledgment of his great power and majesty. 
For surely he, who can baptize man with the Holy Spirit of truth, 
and with the pure fire of celestial love, can be no other than the 
fountain of all spiritual light and life, and as such must be en- 
titled to the adoration of all hearts. 

This is further confirmed by John's ascribing to Jesus the di- 
vine prerogative of executing judgment on the race of man, of se- 
parating the good from the evil, and of saving those who shall be 
found meet for the kingdom of heaven. And here it is observable, 
that the world or church, containing both the good and the bad, 
is called his floor, which is to be thoroughly purged and purified 
by the fan of separation in his hand ; and that the righteous are 

C 



la 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS Of 



•described as his wheat, which shall be gathered into the garner, 
while the unrighteous, or the chaff, shall be destroyed. All 
which particulars evidently imply, that Jesus is Lord and owner 
of the church, and that from him alone is derived salvation and 
eternal happiness. 



[6.] Matt. iv. 7. When the devil came to Jesus, and tempted 
him, " Jesus said unto him, It is written, " Thou shalt not tempt 
" the Lord thy God." See also Luke iv. 12. 



The passage here alluded to is to be found in Deut. vi. 16, 
where it is thus expressed : " Ye shall not tempt Jehovah your 
" God." The observations already made (art. 4,) on the substi- 
tution of the term Lord instead of Jehovah, will again apply 
with equal effect on the present occasion. The design of the de- 
vil was to tempt Jesus ; but Jesus instantly rebuffs him by an 
appeal to the written 'Word, and by an application of the same to 
himself, " Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God ;" thus as- 
suming the first and highest title of divinity, which yet exclusive- 
ly belongs to the Supreme God. Irresistibly therefore it follows, 
that Jehovah of the Old Testament, and Jesus of the New, are 
i*divisibly and consequently identically one and the same Lorb 
God Almighty. 



[7.] Matt. v. 21, 22: 27, 28; 31,32; 33, 34; 38, 39; 43 f 
44. « Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou 
" shalt not kill, &c. But I say unto you, That whosoever is an- 
" gry with his brother without a cause, shall be in danger of the 
"judgment, &c. — Ye have heard, that it was said by them of old 
" time, Thou shalt not commit adultery. But I say unto you, 
" That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath 
" committed adultery with her already in his heart. — It hath 
" been said. Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



19 



M a writing of divorcement. But I say unto you, That whosoever 
" shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, 
" causeth her to commit adultery : and whosoever shall marry 
P her that is divorced, committeth adultery. — Again, ye have 
"heard, that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt 
*< not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine 
f* oaths. But I say unto you, Swear not at all, &c— Ye have 
« heard, that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth 
" for a tooth. But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil, &c. — 
" Ye have heard, that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy 
" neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love 
" your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that 
ft hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you, and per- 
N secute you/' See also Luke vi. 27 to 38, 

In all these verses Jesus refers to the various commandments 
in the Old Testament against murder, adultery, perjury, and re- 
taliation of injuries ; and then, apparently by way of contrast, but 
in reality by way of explanation or elucidation, and in an air of 
equal authority with Jehovah himself, who first gave the divine 
laws by Moses, he adds, *? But J say unto you," &c. Then fol* 
low the same laws from his own mouth, but in a more interior 
form, which may be thus expressed : " Thou shalt not harbour in 
** thy breast either hatred or resentment against thy neighbour. 
« Thou shalt not indulge lust or wantonness, either in the inten- 
" tion, or in the thought. Thou shalt not abide and confirm thy- 
" self in the mere externals of the church and of religion, but 
" shalt enter by degrees into the interior perception and love of 
" divine things. Thou shalt, in all thy conduct towards men, 
" and in every circumstance of life, cherish and exercise the hea- 
" venly principles of love, charity, and universal benevolence. " 

Such is the spirit of all the divine laws contained in the Word, 
whether as given by Jehovah, or as repeated and new-modelled 
by Jesus. To which may be added what the Lord says to his 
disciples in another place, " A new commandment I give unto 
f you, That ye love one another," John xiii, 34. 



2U 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



Is it a credible thing, that any mere man, conscious of his own 
comparative insignificance in the great scale of creation, but of 
his absolute nullity when either the name or the nature of Deity 
is brought into view, would have the arrogance and presumption 
to put himself on record as one that was equally authorized to 
give the law to the rest of mankind, and at the same time equally 
capable of doing so, with the Creator himself ? If a mere man, 
w T ith only a common degree of humility, and knowledge of him- 
self, would shrink with horror from the very idea of such wicked- 
ness, how much more would an angel, or a created being of still 
superior order 9 (if any such maybe imagined,) whose pre-emi- 
nence over all others can solely arise from a more perfect know- 
ledge of himself, and a more just sense of the infinite perfections 
of the Great First Cause, which he must necessarily possess, than 
those can possibly acquire, who are placed in the lower circles of 
existence ! 

From a due consideration, then, of all these circumstances, it 
appears most evident, that, as Jesus thought it no robbery, no 
derogation from the high character of Jehovah, to assume to him- 
self the whole authority and legislative power of the Supreme. 
God, he must in fact have been that very God, that same Jeho- 
vah, who originally gave the law, and who therefore had the ex- 
clusive right to new-model or explain the divine precepts, ac- 
cording to the varying states of mankind, and the dictates of his 
own infinite and eternal wisdom. 



[8.] Matt. viii. 2, 3. "There came a leper to Jesus, and 
" worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make 
" me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him ? 
" saying, I will, be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was 
« cleansed." See also Mark i. 40 to 42. Luke v. 12, 13. 



"Would Jesus admit and receive worship, if he were merely a 
man, a prophet, or a delegated messenger from the high God f 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 21 



Twice did the apostle John, in his ignorance, attempt to fall down 
and worship an angel, who was sent by the Supreme God to 
shew him things to come, as in Apoc. xix. 10; chap. xxii. 8, 9 f 
But as often did the angel refuse to be honoured in such a way, 
and as often direct him to the true God : " See thou do it not : I 
" am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren that have the testi- 
# mony of Jesus : worship God." Not so Jesus ; for being him- 
self the God of angels, of prophets, and of wise men, or what 
amounts to the same thing, being He who sends and commissions 
them to perform his will in their different functions, (Apoc. xxii. 
10. Matt, xxiii. 34.) he views with complacency every act of 
worship, when directed to his own divine person ; and, in token 
of his approbation, stretches out his hand, and either cleanses a 
leper, heals an infirmity, or casts out a devil. 

In the present instance the leper .not only offers him the 
honour of external adoration, but accompanies it with a profes- 
sion of faith in his divine omnipotence, saying, 66 Lord, if thou 
< fi wilt, thou canst make me clean." To whom the Lord in mercy 
answered, 66 1 will, be thou clean and instantly the effect of his 
mercy and omnipotence is visible, the faith of the leper is con- 
firmed, his worship accepted, and the malady healed. 

Under all these circumstances, is it possible for a moment to 
doubt, that Jesus is God ? and if God, that he is the only God, 
since a second God, or an equal cannot be given ? 



[9.] Matt. viii. 6 to 10, 13. 66 There came unto Jesus a centu- 
^rion, beseeching him, and saying, Lord, my servant lieth at 
" home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith 
" unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered 

and said, Lord, I am not ivorthy that thou shouldst come under 
"my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be 
" healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under 
u me ; and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth ; and to another, 

Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doth 
" it. When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that 



a Seal Won The Lips of 



"followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith* 
"no not in Israel. And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy 
** way, and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And 
" his servant was healed in the self-same hour." See also Luke 
vii. 2 to 10. 



Here is an example of self-humiliation on the part of the cen- 
turion, and at the same time of faith in the supernatural power 
of Jesus to accomplish, by a word, what appears to belong to 
Omnipotence only. Equivalent to this is that passage in the 
Psalms, " By the word of Jehovah were the heavens made ; and 
" all the host of them by the breath of his mouthy Ps. xxxiii. 6. 
And again, " He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered 
" them from their destructions," Ps. cvii. 20, In each case the 
word, the breath of Jehovah, or of Jesus, performs a miracle, 
first the miracle of creation, and afterwards the miracle of pre* 
Nervation $ both equally requiring a divine power, and both equal- 
ly effected by the same power. No wonder then that the works 
pf Jesus excited the admiration and astonishment of the gazing 
multitude: for as of Jehovah, so also of Jesus it is written, 
that " his word was with power, 99 Luke iv. 32. 

"What an idea must the centurion have had of the person, the 
character, and the resources of Jesus ! He must have felt in his 
breast a conviction, that in the Man, whom he addressed, were 
actually collected or concentrated, though in a manner incompre- 
hensible to finite reason, all the attributes and perfections of 
Deity itself. He must have viewed him rather as a God, than as a 
Man^or more justly still, as both God and Man, united in one per- 
son, that is, as Divinity manifesting itself, and yet at the same 
time as it were hiding* itself, under the form of Humanity. Such 

* " Verily thou art a God that Mdest thyself, O God of Israel, the Sa- 
u viour" Isa. xlv. 15. This passage of the Word confirms, and is also ex- 
plained by, the circumstance of the Divinity as it were hiding itself, and at 
the same time manifesting itself according to the capacity of the creature 
to bear the glory, when it assumed Humanity for the purpose of saving 
mankind, 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 2$ 



a faith was indeed rarely to be found, certainly not among the 
Jewish people, as a body, who were in possession of Moses and 
the Prophets, and who on that account ought to have recognized 
in Jesus their long-expected Messiah. But, on the contrary, like 
many in our own day who call themselves Christians, they in 
general regarded him as a mere man, and suffered the veil of his 
flesh, which was assumed as a merciful accommodation to their 
states, to become the very obstacle to their acknowledgment of 
his divine title. Not so the Roman officer, who, as a gentile free 
from the prepossessions and prejudices of an hypocritical and 
blind faith, which the perverted church had imposed upon it's 
members, was prepared to embrace the true and living faith, as 
soon as it's Divine Author was presented to his view. On whicb 
occasion our Lord observes, " I have not found so great faith, no 
" not in Israel." 

To acknowledge the Divinity of the Lord's Humanity, and io 
adore him alone as the Supreme and Omnipotent God, not mere- 
ly in lip, but in heart and in life, is therefore the very kind of 
faith, which was, and still is, distinctly approved of by the Lord 
himself: it is the key, which opens the gate of heaven, and 
introduces into the palace of the King : it is that in man, which 
constitutes his capacity of enjoying the presence of his God, 
and of becoming himself more and more to eternity an image and 
likeness of him, who is at once the cnly true God, and the only 
self-existent Man. To a faith like this every thing is possible, 
which can best contribute to the well-being of him who possesses 
it : (Mark ix. 23 :) and indeed in all eases, according to the 
quality and degree of a man's faith, such uniformly is the return 
into his own bos^om. ¥ thou hast believed) &o be it done unto 
« thee*" 



[10.] Matt. viii. 16. "When the even was come, they brought 
^ unto Jesus many that were possessed with devils: and he cast 
" out the spirits with his ivord, and healed all that were sick." 
See also Mark i. 23 to 27, 34, 39, Luke iv. 40, 41. 



:24 



A &EAL UPON THE LIPS 0£ 



We have already in the last article considered the powerful 
effect of the Lord's word in healing the centurion's servant ; a 
miracle performed upon the body of an absent man ? and therefore 
plainly testifying that the material world itself was under the im- 
mediate control and dominion of Jesus. But the present pas- 
sage announces, that his divine authority was not confined with- 
in the limits of the natural world, but that it extended even to 
the world of spirits, where the very devils heard his voice, and 
trembled as they yielded an unwilling obedience to his commands. 
(James ii. 19.) 

What ! devils tremble at the voice of a mere man, whom they 
could in an instant destroy both as to his soul and his body 9 
were they not every moment restrained by a divine power ! No : 
but from the presence, and at the word, of Him, who hath all 
power both in heaven and on earth, (Matt, xxviii. 18,) and who 
consequently can be no less than the God of the universe, they 
fly with precipitation to their dens, and call upon the mountains 
and the rocks to fall on them, and to hide them from a counte- 
nance, which they know not how to endure. (Apoc. vi. 15, 16.) 

If devils, then, in the plenitude of their pride and their power, 
sink into the dust when they hear but the voice of Jesus, or the 
distant sound of his feet, what a lesson of instruction ought 
their example to furnish to the man, who calls himself a Socinian ! 
an Unitarian! to the man, who still refuses to acknowledge the 
Saviour in any other character, than that of a dependent, finite, 
impotent worm, like himself! But it may be, the medium, through 
which he has been used to look at the Scriptures, tinges, obscures, 
and distorts the objects of his sight, so that he sees them either 
in confusion, or in perversion. If so, let him for once avail him- 
self of the eyes, the ears, and the understanding of a disembo- 
died but a satanic spirit — of a devil : he will learn a truth, which, 
though borrowed at first, may hereafter become his own : he will 
perceive, that the invisible powers of darkness are all subject to 
the word, the nod, the look of that Divine Man, whose domi- 
nion, both in the spiritual and in the natural world, is co-exteiv 
sive with the utmost limits of the wide creation. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



x.0 



[11.] Matt. viiL 23 to 27. " When Jesus was entered into a 
t; ship, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a 
« great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered 
" with the waves : but he was asleep. And his disciples came to 
¥ him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us : we perish. And 
ft he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, 0 ye of little faith ? 
6i Then he arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was 
" a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying. What manner 
W of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey /ii?n?" See 
also Mark iv. 35 to 41. Luke viii. 22 to 25. 



Can any thing short of omnipotence rebuke the winds and the 
sea with such effect, as to produce an instantaneous calm in both 
elements ? Or can the Being, whose commands are thus irresisti- 
ble, even when directed to the raging tempest, be any other than 
the God of nature himself, though disguised in a human form ? 
We have read of heathen gods, who were supposed to bear rule 
over the winds and the waves. But never did fable itself give 
to imaginary deities such entire dominion over the works of cre- 
ation, as we find was actually exercised by the Divine Man Je- 
sus Christ. Well might the astonishment of the mariners com- 
pel them to exclaim, " What manner of man is this ! Was he not 
"just now locked in the embraces of sleep? an evidence that he 
"is subject to the infirmities, and necessities of humanity, in 
" common with the rest of mankind ? How then is it, that even 
<l£ inanimate nature, in it's most turbulent state, is in a moment 
" softened into obedience to his word ? Surely an innate power, 
u far beyond the measure of a mere man, and equivalent to omni- 
"potence itself, must in some incomprehensible way lodge within 
" that humble form ! How else is it to be accounted for, that the 
" very winds and the sea obey him ?" 

In this manner, it is probable, the mariners, who were wit- 
nesses to the extraordinary miracle here recorded, must have 
reasoned in themselves : and in a similar manner must every 
man reason, who believes in the truth of the Gospel, and who is 
not previously disposed to do violence to his own understanding, 

D 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



when such irrefragable proof of the divinity of Jesus is given in 
the Word. 

Who then can forbear drawing the parallel between the migh- 
ty acts of Jehovah in the Old Testament, and the divine mira- 
cles of Jesus in the New ? Of the former it is written, " O Je- 
" hovah God of hosts, who is a strong Jah like unto thee ? or 
" to thy faithfulness round about thee ? Thou rulest the raging 
if of the sea : when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them" 
Ps. lxxxix. 8, 9. And of the latter it is recorded, that " he arose, 
" and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water : and they 
u ceased, and there was a calm" Luke viii. 24. Identity of attri- 
bute, character, and act, sufficiently demonstrates identity of 
person : but when these unite in proclaiming unlimited dominion, 
and infinity of power, we are under the highest obligation to con- 
clude, that, however varied the name of the great Being to whom 
they refer, still one and the same infinite and eternal God is in- 
variably understood. 



[12,] Matt. viii. 31, 32. " The devils besought Jesus, saying, 
" if thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. 
- ; And he said unto them, Go" See also Mark v. 12, 13. Luke 
viii. 31, 32. 



Would devils of any order or description petition a mere man ? 
No, truly : still less would these powerful devils, who, together 
with the two men possessed by them, are described in ver. 28, as 
being " so exceeding fierce, that no [mere] man might pass by 
" that way." Again, could any mere man grant, or not grant, 
their petition, as might seem good in his own eyes ? It is too in- 
credible to be seriously admitted. Yet it is not only true, that 
the spirits of darkness solicited permission of Jesus to enter in- 
to the herd of swine, after being cast out of the bodies of the 
men, but that he also in his divine wisdom suffered them to do so. 
The acknowledgment of such power and authority on the one 
hand, and the actual exercise of it on the other, justify us there- 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



fore in concluding, that he, who possessed it, must have been 
more than a man, or in other words, that he must have been a 
Divine and Omnipotent Man. 



[IS.] Matt. ix. 2 to 6. " They brought to him a man sick of 
" the palsy, lying on a bed : and Jesus seeing their faith, said 
" unto the sick of the palsy, Son, be of good cheer, thy sins be 
"forgiven thee. And behold, certain of the scribes said within 
"themselves, This man blasphemeth. And Jesus, knowing their 
" thoughts, said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? For 
" whether is it easier to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee ; or 
" to say, Arise and walk? But that ye may know, that the Son of 
" Man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the 
<; sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine 
" house." See also Mark ii. S to 12. Luke v. 18 to 26 $ chap. viL 
47 to 50. 



No mere man can forgive, remove, or cancel, his own sins and 
iniquities, and still less those of another person. For all sin be- 
ing a transgression of the divine law, and consequently an of- 
fence against the Supreme Lawgiver himself, no other being in 
heaven or on earth can possibly liberate or save from the penal- 
ties of disobedience. Hence in very many places of the Old 
Testament Jehovah is addressed, as alone competent to forgive 
the sins of his creatures : and in the New Testament also the 
question, though suggested by scribes and Pharisees, who knew 
not the real character of Jesus, is well and most energetically 
put, " lilio can forgive sins but God only?" Mark ii. 7. Luke 
v. 21. But Jesus forgave sins, and thus healed the souls, as well 
as the bodies of men. Jesus therefore, by this one act of divine 
authority, virtually claims to himself the prerogative of the high 
God ; and thus gains, as his exclusive right, the character, the 
honour, and the name of the great Jehovah. 

It appears, that the scribes, who were present, and heard Jesus 
pronounce the forgiveness of sins, were so shocked at what they 



28 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



conceived to be the most unjustifiable arrogance in any man, even 
were he a prophet, that " they said within themselves, This man 
" blasphemeth." And so truly it would have been no less than 
blasphemy, to assume to himself what belongs to God only, if 
Jesus were no more than a mere man, or a mere prophet. But 
that he was in reality a character widely different, and infinitely 
superior to what they supposed him to be, is plain from the cir- 
cumstance of his knowing their thoughts, and penetrating the se- 
cret recesses of their hearts. He therefore rebutted the charge of 
blasphemy, which they only contemplated in their minds, by con- 
vincing them that he was privy to all that passed within them : 
and in his turn charged them with entertaining evil thoughts con- 
cerning him, in even so much as doubting his divinity, and thus 
bringing him down to a level with themselves. " Wherefore think 
" ye evil in your hearts? V> liy do ye persevere in refusing me 
" that honour, to which I am equally entitled with him, whom ye 
Si call God ? Ye will acknowledge indeed, that /iehas an unlimit- 
" ed power over the ^ouls and the bodies of men ; and whatso- 
" ever he pleaseth, he can perform, whether in heaven or on 
" earth. Ye will bow to his authority, when he says, " I, even 
" I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake. 
" and will not remember thy sins" Isa. xliii. 25. " And cannot 
" ye perceive, that the same power is also exercised by me ? that 
" the spirits and the bodies of all flesh are alike, in my hand, and 
" equally subject to my sovereign will? consequently that being 
4< possessed of omnipotence in each world, spiritual and natural, 
" it is as easy for me to pronounce, Thy sins be forgiven thee, as 
" to say, Arise and walk. But to convince you, and all others 
" who shall hereafter entertain the slightest doubt of my being 
" the only true God, as well as the Son of Man, who came down 
"from heaven, and yet still is in heaven, (John iii. 13,) I say to 
" the sick of the palsy, because his faith qualifies him for the dou- 
u ble blessing, Be healed in spirit, he healed in body $ thy sins 
r ' be forgiven thee ; arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine 
u house," 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



29 



[14.] Matt. ix. 18, 23, 25. " There came a certain ruler, and 
" worshipped Jesus, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but 
" come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live. And 
" when Jesus came to the ruler's house, he went in, and took 
H her by the hand, and the maid arose." See also Mark v. 22 to 
« 24, 35 to 43. Luke viii. 41, 42, 49 to 56. John ix. 38. 



Independent of the miracle here performed, which is only one 
among the many proofs of an omnipotent hand, which Jesus ex- 
hibited in the days of his flesh, let us more particularly advert to 
the circumstance of his being worshipped by this ruler of the syna- 
gogue, who is elsewhere described as falling down at the feet of 
Jesus, and beseeching him to heal his daughter. 

If worship be due to God alone, and if neither man nor angel 
can accept of such honour, without being guilty of the highest sa- 
crilege and presumption, while nevertheless our Saviour not only 
suffers it, but even approves and rewards it ; what ought we to 
infer from the present, and many other instances, recorded in 
the New Testament, of divine adoration paid to Jesus ? What, 
but that he was richly and truly entitled to it, not indeed as a 
mere man, not as an angel or archangel, not as the first of created 
beings, no nor even as a secondary God, or sharer in divinity 
with some other unknown and unknowable Deity, supposed to 
rank above him ; but as the single, sole, and supreme God him- 
self, who after many ages of prophecy at length assumed the 
form of Man, and thereby became his own Divine Word incar- 
nate ? 

But if the doctrine here advanced be indeed the truth of reve- 
lation 5 if Jesus be the Word incarnate, or God manifested in the 
flesh ; then it follows, that divine worship paid to any other than 
to him alone, under whatever pretext, custom, or authority, is no 
less than downright idolatry. For as there is and can be only 
One God, so all true worship must be directed to him : and every 
deviation or departure from such worship, whether in the affec- 
tion, in the thought, in the doctrine, or in the life, must necessa- 
rily be idolatrous in it's kind and degree. Yet notwithstanding 
all this, it cannot be doubted, but the Divine Mercy accepts the 



50 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



intention of the pious and the sincere of every denomination un- 
der heaven, not imputing to them their ignorance or their errors, 
while they endeavour to live in charity with their neighbour, ac- 
cording to the best light which they have received. • 

And here it may be remarked as a singular circumstance, 
serving to point out the contrariety of sentiment, which subsists 
between the Unitarian so called, who professes to worship an in- 
visible and consequently an unknown God, and the Unitarian 
truly deserving the name, who worships a visible God, known and 
made manifest in the flesh as a Divine Man. The former Unita- 
rian charges the whole body of Christians with idolatry, because 
they pay too much honour, too much reverence, adoration, and 
worship, to Jesus Christ. The latter Unitarian, on the other 
hand, also charges them with idolatry, because they pay him too 
little of each, or rather because they do not worship him at all, 
but some other Being, whom they call the Father, and whom they 
vainly address for his sake; as if there were any Deity, or any 
principle of Deity, out of, above, or distinct from Jesus Christ 
himself. 

Thus the two kinds of Unitarians, if both may be so called, are 
at complete issue with each other : for though neither can see 
any thing but practical idolatry in the land, and both profess to 
believe in One God, yet, as they do not both acknowledge the same 
God, no two characters are more opposed, in respect to the real 
Object of their faith and worship. The one refuses to pay divine 
honours to Jesus, because he considers him unworthy of such 
high distinction, as being in himself nothing superior to the rest 
of mankind, or if superior, still a dependent, finite creature ; and 
therefore, so regarding him, lie turns his back upon him, and 
looks into infinite space for some other Object, whom he may em- 
brace with his thought and affection 5 but finding none in the 
ethereal heaven, and none upon the habitable earth, answering 
his expectations, he suddenly fixes his mind upon Nature in her 
first and purest principles, and then falls down and worships her 
as the very Queen of heaven. The other kind of Unitarian, well 
knowing that to an invisible and unknown God, by whatever 
name he may be called, neither faith nor worship can possibly be 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



31 



directed, so as to reach and embrace it's Object ; and at the same 
time believing with the heart, as well as the understanding, the 
divine testimony of the Scriptures, that the great God of the uni- 
verse, Jehovah himself, came down from heaven into the world, 
for the express purpose (among other things) of making himself 
visible and approachable to his creatures 5 that, in order to ac- 
complish this end, he actually assumed the form of a Man ; and 
that in this form he was known as their Saviour and Redeemer, 
their Father and their God ; looks up with confidence and hope 
to the great Object of his faith and love, whom he can see with 
the eyes of his understanding, whom he can embrace with the af- 
fections of his heart, and whom he can therefore worship as the 
One God over all, blessed for ever and ever. 

Such and so great is the difference between the worship of 
those, who profess to believe in an invisible Deity, or Supreme 
Ens, pervading the universe, and co-extended with it, and the 
worship of those, who acknowledge God in the form of a Man ; 
not a material man, subject to the limitations or mensurations of 
either space or time, but a divinely -substantial Man, omnipresent 
in all spaces without space, and in all times without time. The 
one kind of worship, being nothing more nor less than pure Tlieism 
or Deism, necessarily resolves itself first into Naturalism, then 
into Materialism, and lastly into downright Atheism. The other 
kind raises the understanding, and together with it the affections 
of the heart, from nature " up to nature's God :" it views it's 
Object, and perceives him to be altogether lovely, and worthy of 
divine honour. Instead, therefore, of sinking the man into the 
dust of mere matter, or distracting his imagination with delusive 
and fantastical forms, which must necessarily rise up in the mind, 
when stretching into infinite space, or groping in the dark cham- 
bers of inanimate nature, in search of a God, it presents before 
him a Divine Man, the real Creator of the universe, in his own 
substantial form, who is at once his adorable Parent and Bene- 
nefactor, his Friend and Protector, his Redeemer and Saviour, 
Jesus Christ. 



52 A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 

T15.] Matt. ix. 20 to 22. " And behold, a woman which wa* 
" diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him. 
" and touched the hem of his garment. For she said within her- 
" self, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. But 
** Jesus turned himself about, and when he saw her, he said, 
" Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. 
"And the woman was made whole from that hour." See also 
Mark v. 25 to 34 ; chap. vi. 56. Luke vi. 19 ; chap. viii. 
43 to 48. 



The transaction here recorded is somewhat varied by the differ- 
ent Evangelists. Mark states, that " when she heard of Jesus, 
she came in the press behind, and touched his garment. And 
" straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up : and she 
" felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. And Jesus 
" immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of 

him, turned him about in the press and said, TFJio touched my 
" clothes? And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the mul- 
" titude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me ? And 
" he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But 
" the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in 
" her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. 
" And he said unto her^ Daughter, thy faith hath made thee 
« whole ; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague." Mark v. 
27 to 34. 

The Evangelist Luke describes the circumstance in nearly the 
same words; but instead of Jesus saying, "Who touched my 
" clothes?" he is represented as saying, " Who touched mef" 
And when Peter, and they that were with him expressed their 
surprize at such a question, while the multitude was thronging 
and pressing upon him, "Jesus said, Somebody hath touched 
" me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me." Luke viii. 
45, 46. 

Whoever, seriously reflects on the miracle here performed, 
must acknowledge that it was a most extraordinary one indeed, 
because, apparently, it was the result of faith on the part of the 
woman, without a corresponding consciousness on the part of 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



Jesus, who was it's Object. But that this could not in reality be 
the case, is plain from the circumstance, first, of Jesus knowing 
in himself that the healing virtue had proceeded from him 5 and, 
secondly, of his turning about to see the woman, whose faith he 
was already apprized of, and approved. He, therefore, who in 
the midst of a crowd pressing on all sides upon him, could distin- 
guish the faith of an obscure individual behind him from every 
other sentiment of the gazing multitude, must have possessed a 
source of knowledge of the human heart, and penetration into it's 
secret recesses, which no other man has ever yet displayed. For 
this knowledge does not appear to have been communicated to 
him by any thing like a natural, corporeal sensation ; the woman 
having only touched the hem of his garment, and not his person? 
and yet the Lord knew within himself not only that fact, but like- 
wise all that was passing in her mind, and in the minds of all 
that surrounded him. 

When Jesus turned himself about to give more direct access 
to his person, to her whose faith had as it were arrested it's Ob- 
ject; and when he exclaimed with a voice of love and mercy, 
" Who touched my clothes?" little did his disciples imagine for 
what purpose, or with what propriety, such a question was put to 
the by-standers 5 and still less what a miraculous effect had just 
been produced upon one of their company* But how great must 
have been their astonishment, when they saw the woman, now- 
healed of her infirmity, prostrate herself at the feet of Jesus, ac- 
knowledging and confessing that she it was, who had ventured to 
extend towards him the hand of faith, because she was inspired 
with a full confidence, that could she but reach the hem or border 
of his garment, she should instantly be made whole ! If hitherto 
they had entertained any doubt of his divine character and power, 
they must now have been convinced, by the testimony of their 
own eyes and ears, not only that their Lord and Master possess- 
ed in himself the source of every blessing, as well as the ability 
and inclination to impart thereof to all who were in states of re- 
ception, but also that there was a sphere of virtue continually 
emanating from him, and actually surrounding his person, which 
however none could perceive, or in any wise reap the benefit of, 

E 



34 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



except those who had faith in his omnipotence, and who therefore 
approached and worshipped him as a Divine Man, or, in other 
words, as the Incarnate God. 

Another consideration rising out of the passage is, that the 
Lord announces himself as the Father of his people. " Baugh- 
u ter," sajs he, " thy faith hath made thee whole :" evidently 
implying, not only that faith ought to be directed to him, as to an 
omnipotent Saviour, but that it should also embrace him as an all- 
merciful Parent * For if he condescends to call us his children, 
surely we may be allowed in return to acknowledge him as our 
Father. And when he is thus reverenced as the sole Parent of 
the human race, as well as their Benefactor and Saviour, a sense 
of filial duty, no less than the necessity of the case, forbids us to 
entertain the most distant idea of any oilier Saviour, any other 
Father, or any other God. 

As it is not properly within the design of the present work to 
unfold the spiritual or internal sense of the various passages of 
Scripture introduced into it, but only to bring into full view the 
grand doctrine of the sole and exclusive divinity of our blessed 
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and that in a plain, intelligible 
manner, by obvious deductions and conclusions drawn from the 
mere letter of the Word ; we shall here only observe, in refe- 
rence to that part of the subject, that the garments of the Lord 
denote the divine truths of his "Word, which being one with him- 
self, it is therefore a matter of indifference, or of equal import, 
whether he say with the Evangelist Mark, " Who touched my 
« clothes?" or with Luke, " Who touched me?" For as the 
Lord is declared to be the Word, and indeed the Word made 
flesh, it must be evident, that whosoever touches, embraces, and 
acknowledges, in faith and in affection, the divine truths contain- 
ed in the Word, must also at the same time, and in the same de- 
gree, touch, embrace, and acknowledge the Lord himself. The 
Iiem or border of his garment denotes the literal, exterior, or na- 
tural sense of the Word : while the woman represents the affec- 
tion or love of truth, which constitutes the church in man ; and 
her touching his garment, denotes the communication and re- 

* See Matthew ix. 2, 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, & c . 35 



eeption of divine truth both in the understanding and in the 
heart. 

In every point of view, therefore, whether spiritually or natu- 
rally discerned, the whole passage testifies, in the plainest and 
most unequivocal terms, as well to the divine mercy and compas- 
sion of Jesus, as to his infinite wisdom, intelligence, and power. 
And moreover it teaches us, in a way of peculiar interest, that he 
views with complacency and approbation every act of faith di- 
rected to him as God in a Human Form, 



[16.] Matt. ix. 27 to 30. " When Jesus departed thence, two 
" blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of Da- 
" vid, have mercy on us. And when he was come into the house, 
" the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Be- 
" lieve ye that I am able to do this ? They say unto him, Yea, 
" Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your 
" faith, be it unto you. And their eyes were opened. 79 See also 
chap. xx. 30 to 34. Mark viii. 22 to 26 ; chap. x. 46 to 52. Luke 
xviii. 35 to 43. John ix. 1 to 41. 



From this passage it appears, that the condition, on which the 
blind men were to receive their sight, was, that they should be- 
lieve in the ability of Jesus to perform what they desired. They 
were neither required nor expected to make profession of any 
faith in an invisible God, in God the Father for example, accord- 
ing to the common idea, as Creator of the universe, whom no 
man hath seen, or can see ; neither were they called upon to 
make prayer and supplication to any such unknown and umnanU 
fested Deity: but they were simply directed to turn their thoughts 
and affections to Jesus alone ; and if to the question, Whether 
they believed in their hearts, that he was of himself, as he then 
stood before them, able to gratify their wishes, they could truly 
answer in the affirmative, that faith was immediately honoured 
by the Lord, and his divine approbation and blessing became it's 
reward. 



36 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



The true reason of this was, because in Jesus alone was the 
very seat and centre of Divinity, called the Father, to whom 
there was, and still is, no other possible way of access, than by a 
direct and immediate approach to the Humanity, called the Son, 
which was assumed for the purpose of becoming the medium of 
communication between the creature and the Creator. It is on this 
account that it is so often declared in the New Testament, that 
salvation is alone attainable by faith in the Son: for the Son or 
Humanity, containing within him the Father or Divinity, as the 
body contains it's soul, is a visible Object, capable of being em- 
braced by the thought and affection of man, and consequently of 
being loved and worshipped ; whereas the Father or Divinity, out 
of, or separate from the Humanity, being in himself invisible, or 
inconceivable by any effort of the human mind, is therefore no 
Object of thought, no Object of love, and consequently no Object 
of rational worship. 

Reader, be not startled on hearing it so boldly asserted, that 
God the Father, the Creator of the universe, considered distinct- 
ly and separately from Jesus Christ, is no Object of rational or 
Christian worship : for nothing can be properly called an Object 
of any kind, much less an Object of religious worship, unless it 
be capable of being presented before the mind in some distinct 
form, under which it may be apprehended. The Divine Esse, 
that is to say, the inmost principle of the Divine Essence, ab- 
stracted from it's form, is infinitely too far removed from the 
sight of any finite creature, to fall within the limits even of ima- 
gination itself: and if so, how can it be an Object either of 
thought or of affection ? Must there not be an accommodation or 
letting down to the capacity of the worshipper, by virtue of which 
he may be enabled spiritually or mentally to view his God, to 
hold in contemplation his divine perfections, and thus to direct his 
love and his adoration to a visible Form, to a personal Deity, 
who can receive it with complacency and approbation, and who 
can also bless with a sense of his more immediate presence ? 
This effect is produced, on the part of the great Author of our 
being, by manifesting himself to us as an Incarnate God, or, 
which is the same thing, as a Divine Man ; and, on the part of 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



37 



the creature, by acknowledging and worshipping the Saviour Je- 
sus Christ alone as that Incarnate God, that Divine Man, who 
is equally the Creator and the Preserver of all worlds. 

With these sentiments, which are the essential characteristics 
of the true Christian religion, agree the many declarations of our 
Lord to the following effect : " I am the way, and the truth, and 
" the life : no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" John xiv. 
6. " He that believeth on the Son, hath everlasting life ; and he 
" that believeth not the Son, shall not see life," John iii. 36. " He 
" that honoureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father," John v, 
23. " Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life," John v. 
40. " Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he who is of 
" God, he hath seen the Father. Verily verily I say unto you, 
« He that believeth on me, hath everlasting life," John vi. 46, 47. 

Thus we see, that, as the mere soul of a man, out of, and sepa- 
rate from it's proper form or body, is not an object to be ap- 
proached or Conversed with ; so neither is the naked Divinity, 
out of, and separate from it's proper form the Humanity, to bs 
considered as the true scriptural object of our worship. But, on 
the other hand, we are assured, that as, in order to gain access to 
the soul of a man, we must make our direct approach to his body, 
so in like manner, if we would honour, reverence, and worship 
the one living and true God of heaven and earth, we must of ne- 
cessity direct our thoughts and affections to his Divine Humanity, 
because thereby, and thereby only, can we hope to obtain con- 
junction with him, and by conjunction salvation and eternal life* 



[17.] Matt. x. 1. " When Jjs.sus had called unto him his 
66 twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to 
" cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness, and all man- 
« ner of disease." See also Mark iii. 14, 15 5 chap. v. 12, IS ; 
chap. vi. 7, 13. Luke ix. 1, 2 5 chap. x. 17, 19. 

In the Old Testament we read, that the power of working mi- 
racles was given to Moses and others by Jehovah himself : nor 



JO 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



do we any where find, that a mere man was ever invested with 
the divine prerogative of communicating to others, and those of 
his own choice or selection, that power, which was only lent or 
delegated to himself, and which he held by no other tenure, than 
the humble and perpetual acknowledgment, that it was not his 
own, but derived from another. In the present case, however, 
we have an example, in Jesus, similar to that of Jehovah : he 
chooses for his servants whomsoever he pleases, and delegates to 
them a supernatural power, a power to overawe, control, and 
eject from the bodies of men unclean spirits, to heal all manner 
of sickness, and all manner of disease 5 that is to say, as before 
observed under articles 10, and 13, he gives them dominion over 
both spirit and matter, and thus exercises an authority, which in 
the very nature of things can belong only to the great and omnipo- 
tent God. 

Under these circumstances, is it possible, that he, who claims 
to be the Equal or Fellow of Jehovah, Zech. xiii. 7, (which is 
an expression that can only be understood of the relation subsist- 
ing between the Humanity and the Divinity of one and the same 
God :) we say, is it possible, that he, who could thus assume to 
himself the character of Jehovah, and by the various godlike 
acts of his life justify such high assumption, in the sight both of 
angels and men, should yet after all be no other than a creature 
of yesterday, a mere man, an absolute worm, just creeping into 
existence from his original state of non -entity ? Common sense 
forbids the preposterous idea ; sound reason dissipates the fallacy 
of such an appearance, whenever presented to the view ; but 
above all, divine revelation, when seen in it's pure and genuine 
light, extinguishes for ever the blasphemous sentiment. 



[18.] Matt. x. 37 to 39. "He that loveth father or mother 
" more than me, is not worthy of me : and he that loveth son or 
" daughter more than me, is not worthy of me. And he that tak- 
" eth not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 
« He that findeth his life, shall lose it : and he that loseth his 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c: 39 



" life for my sake, shall find it." See also chap. xvi. 24, 25 5 
chap. xix. 29. Mark x. 29, 30. Luke ix. 23, 24 5 chap. xiv. 26, 
27 5 chap, xviii. 29, 30. 

Would any prophet, or mere messenger sent from God to man, 
be justified in the use of such language as this ? Nay, would any 
angel of heaven, however high his rank in the scale of created 
intelligences, have the presumption to speak of himself, or of his 
own mighty importance, in such a strain of unqualified commen- 
dation ? It cannot for a moment be supposed 5 because it is an 
undeniable truth, applicable to every created being, that " who- 
" soever exalts himself, shall be abased ;" and on the other hand, 
that "he, who humbles himself, shall be exalted" Luke xiv. 11, 
No angel, knowing his dependent situation, and receiving from 
the bountiful hand of his Creator his daily existence, together 
with his daily bread, could find it in his heart to address his 
neighbour and fellow-creature in terms like those contained in the 
passage quoted, and so proclaim himself, not merely as their ex- 
ample or superior in every thing great and good, but even as the 
Object of their love and supreme veneration. "With still less ap- 
pearance of propriety could his younger brother, man, while sur- 
rounded with the infirmities incident to mortality, take up the 
language of a God, and say, " He that loveth father or mother, 
" son or daughter, more than me, or whosoever followeth not after 
" me, is not worthy of me." For surely none can claim the su- 
preme devotion of the heart, but he who implanted within it the 
best affections of our nature, and who continually supplies it 
with all the felicities of love. 

It follows, therefore, that Jesus the wise, the holy, and the 
just, who thus holds himself out to mankind as the pattern of 
perfection, the good to be desired above every other blessing in 
heaven or on earth, and for whose sake every inferior affection 
and delight, if opposed to the acknowledgment and worship of 
him, must be sacrificed without reluctance, can be no other than 
the adorable God of the universe, come down among men to teach 
them his will, his Word, and the only true way to everlasting 
life. 



40 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



[19.] Matt. xi. 27. « Ml things are delivered unto me of my 
" Father." See also chap, xxviii. 18. Luke x. 22. John iii. 35 5 
chap. v. 21, 22, 26, 27; chap. xvi. 15; chap. xvii. 2, 10. 

What can be the meaning of delivering all things into the 
hands of the Son, if yet the Son be, as supposed by some, a mere 
man, or even, as regarded by others, the first among created an- 
gels ? Can a mere man guide the chariot of the sun, or regulate 
the seasons and the hours ? Can any finite and dependent being, 
Atlas -like, support on his shoulders the great burden of the uni- 
verse ? Is it within the limits of possibility, that omniscience and 
omnipotence, which are alone competent to preserve the order 
and the harmony of nature, can be delegated to any individual, 
who is himself within that order, and necessarily subject to iVs 
laws ? Or can a mere creature, who by the very condition of his 
existence is limited and finited in every faculty of his soul and 
body and life, receive into himself, if offered, the gift of divine 
ivisdom and power, which in themselves are infinite and eternal? 
The position is absurd, contradictory in it's terms, and therefore 
must be rejected as an utter impossibility. 

Or again, is it consistent with reason, and the dictates of a 
sound mind, to represent the One God as existing in two or more 
distinct persons, one of whom, namely the first in order, called 
the Father, must be supposed by the above -cited words of the 
Evangelist to have transferred all his right and title to dominion 
over the works of his own hands, to a second person, called the 
Son ? As if Divinity, with it's various attributes and perfections, 
were a transferable property, capable of passing and re-passing 
from one supposed person of the Godhead to another, and for no 
conceivable purpose of benefit to man, but what might equally as 
well be accomplished, and indeed infinitely better, without such 
transfer ! 

Above all, is it consistent with the true light of revelation to 
imagine a divided Deity, whose imputed properties are not only 
at variance -with each other, but at the same time also totally in- 
compatible with unity of form, as well as unity of essence? If the 
great Jehovah hath deigned to announce himself, in his Word* 



UNITARIANS. TRINITARIANS, &c. 



41 



Under different appellations, according to the difference of sub- 
ject considered, of circumstances described, or of persons ad- 
dressed, that can be no just reason why either his divine essence 
should be divided, or his divine form multiplied; since in both 
cases the divine unity, which is the fundamental of all religion, 
must unavoidably perish. 

To guard, therefore, against such a fatal sentiment, as a plura- 
lity of divine persons, which is most evidently tantamount to a 
plurality of Gods, the Divine Wisdom has found it necessary to 
dictate to his prophets the following plain and emphatic al lan- 
guage : " Thus saith Jehovah the King of Israel, and his Re- 
" deemer Jehovah of hosts, I am the First, and I am the Last, 

and besides me there is no God,'' Isa. xliv. 6. " I am Jehovah, 
" and besides me there is no Saviour,-' Isa. xliii. 11. " All flesh 

shall know, that I Jehovah am thy Saviour and Redeemer," 
lia. xlix. 26. " Their Redeemer is strong, Jehovah of hosts is 
j; his name," Jer. 1, 34. " I Jehovah am thy God, and thou 
" shalt know no God beside me, for there is no Saviour beside 
" me,'' Hos. xiii. 4. " Jehovah is my strength, and my Re~ 
" deemer,-' Ps. xix. 14. 

In these passages, and others too numerous to be introduced in 
this place, Jehovah assumes to himself the title and character of 
•Saviour and Redeemer, to the utter exclusion of every other be- 
ing in heaven or on earth. He also declares himself to be the 
First and the Last, or the whole Deity, by whatever name distin- 
guished or made known in the "Word, and in the church. Indeed 
so jealous of his glory does he appear to be, that (foreseeing, and 
as if with a view to c ounteract the general apostacy of the Chris - 
tian church in relapsing into gentilism, by the introduction of a 
plurality of Gods,) he repeatedly cautions them against the dan= 
gerous error of multiplying to themselves imaginary objects of 
worship, which are no better than graven images, destitute of 
life, and incapable of supplying their wants. i; Is there a God 
" besides me ? Yea, there is no God, I know not any,*" Isa. xliv. 
8. " Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be 

after me," Isa. xliii. 10. 64 I am Jehovah, that is my name, 
" and my glory will I not give to another," Isa. xlii. 6. We 

F 



t-: 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



must not presume therefore to deal out, in two or more several 
portions, a glory, which must ever remain undivided: neither are 
we at liberty to suppose, that there is or can be any more than 
One Jehovah, One Creator, One Redeemer, One Saviour, One 
God, in One glorious and exclusively Divine Person. 

Yet in the passage, which gave occasion to these reflections, it 
is asserted, that all things are delivered by the Father into the 
hands of the Son, that is, into the hands of Jesus, who therefore 
may now be truly said, as expressed by himself in another place, 
to have all power in heaven and in earth, Matt, xxviii. 18. If so, 
then he must preside over the whole works of creation, not form a 
part of them ; be above the laws of nature, not subject to them ; 
and in the actual exercise of a sovereignty, which no finite intelli- 
gence can form any just or adequate conception of. In short, be- 
ing in possession of all things which the Father himself ever en- 
joyed, namely, all his divine attributes, all his divine properties, 
and all his divine perfections ; (John iii. 35 ; chap. xvi. 15.) be- 
ing also honoured with the great names and titles of Deity ; (Isa, 
ix. 6. Matt. iii. 3. Isa. xl. 3. Apoc. i. 8, 11.) and at the same 
time being, as the apostle Paul most justly observes, in the form 
of God, he thought it no robbery, no impiety, no presumption, no 
indignity offered to the Supreme and Most High Sovereign of the 
universe, (which must have been the case, had he been any thing 
less than the Supreme Deity himself,) to be equal with God ; 
(Philip, ii. 6. John v. 21, 23, 26.) that is, in other words, to be 
One with the infinite, eternal, and omnipotent God himself : for 
in no other sense of the word can it be truly said, that any being 
in the form of a Man is equal to the Creator. 

But here it may be objected, " How can the Son, or Jesus, be 
" said to have received such power and authority from the Father, 
" who is universally admitted to be the Supreme God ? x\nd how 
" is it to be understood, that the Father delivered up to the Son, 
" or to Jesus, all things that himself possessed, and yet still re* 
" mained the All-mighty, the All-wise, and the All-merciful ?" 
We have already seen, that divine or infinite power cannot in 
the nature of things be wholly vested in any finite being, thus 
neither in a man of the earth, nor in the highest archangel of hea- 



/ 

UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 43 



ven ; and that the bare supposition of such a paradox is an out- 
rage against reason, as well as against revelation. We have also 
demonstrated, that the divine unity will not admit of any division 
or separation into distinct persons ; and consequently that the 
difficulty, which presses upon a reader, who has not sufficiently 
considered the subject, cannot be removed by any such hypothesis 
as that of a duality or a trinity of divine persons in the Godhead. 
The question therefore can be scripturally, rationally, and satis- 
factorily resolved in no other possible way, than by considering 
the Father as the invisible Divine Essence, and the Son as the 
visible or manifested Divine Form, both together constituting 
only one and the same God, or one and the same Divine Person ; 
comparatively as the invisible soul and the visible body together 
constitute only one and the same man, or one and the same hu- 
man person. 

Under this view of the subject, how easy is it to conceive, that, 
as the soul of a man transfers or delivers up to the body all it's 
powers and energies of life, yet without sustaining in itself any 
deprivation or diminution of those powers 5 so the Father, or the 
Divine Essence, in like manner transfers or delivers up into the 
hands of the Son, or the Divine Form, all his divine attributes 
and perfections, yet without losing his character of being still the 
Supreme God and Regent of the universe. Thus, notwithstand- 
ing the varied modes of expression in different parts of the Holy 
Word, which are so well adapted to convey heavenly and divine 
instruction, and which likewise are all resolvable into the simple 
idea of the union of Divinity with Humanity in the single person 
of our blessed Lord, there results, as an undeniable conclusion 
from the whole, this first, this last, this greatest of all revealed 
truths, That Jehovah himself, who is called the Father, and 
Jesus Christ, who is called the Son, are identically and person- 
ally one and the same Divine Being, one and the same everlast- 
ing God of heaven and earth. 



44 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



[20.] Matt. xi. 27. " No man knoweth the Son. but the War 
" ^fecrt* neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son. and 
"he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him." See -also Luke x. 
22. John viii. 19 : chap, xiv. 7. 

There would be no propriety in speaking thus o'f Jesus, or of 
the Son. were he merely a created being, or a mortal man. The 
Jews said of him, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose 
" father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I 
" came down from heaven?" John vi. 42. And again." We know 
" this man, whence he is: but when Christ cometh. no man 
"knoweth whence he is." John vii. 27. Such was the opinion of 
the Jews, who were his enemies, and who could perceive nothing 
of his divine nature, any more than Socinian Unitarians of the 
present day, who are also his enemies, by denying his divine 
origin and descent. Both judge him to be the son of Joseph ; and 
hence both suppose, that they know whence he is. And yet Je- 
sus himself denies, that such persons either had or have any true 
knowledge of him. Ye neither know me. (says he,) nor my Fh~ 
" ther : if ye had known me. ye would have known my Father 
>; also,'' John viii. 19. 

Knowledge of Jesus as the Christ or Messiah, is not a know- 
ledge of his natural descent, according; to the mere humanity, from 
the house of David: but a knowledge of his descent from heaven, 
as the Word, or divine truth itself, incarnate. It is in this latter 
respect that neither Jews nor Unitarians have the slightest idea of 
his real character : and if the question were again put to them, 
as it was once put to their predecessors, " How can he be the 
" Son of David, when David himself calls him his Lord [Matt, 
xxii. 45.) they would, it is probable, with all the wisdom, whid 
they have had an opportunity of accumulating since their time, 
be still unable to answer a word. For having no conception of 
any other humanity, than what may be seen by the natural eye. 
they conclude, that Jesus himself, because he appeared among 
the Jews like a mere man. was therefore in reality nothing mare. 
Yet it is plain from his transfiguration on the mountain. [Matt, 
xvii. 2.) that he was possessed of an interior divine form, per- 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



4$ 



fectly distinct from the humble form, in which he was usually 
seen ; for " his face did shine as the sun, and even his raiment 
" was white as the light." 

It could not therefore have been in respect to the Lord's in- 
firm humanity, but most evidently in reference to his Divine 
Humanity, that he said, " No man knoweth the Son, but the Fa- 
" ther : neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and 
" he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him." For indeed it is 
tantamount to this : As no man, no created being, can possibly 
comprehend the infinity of the Divine Essence, so neither can he 
comprehend the infinity of the Divine Form ; the true nature 
and quality of the one being fully known only to the other, mu- 
tually, reciprocally, and conjunctly. And as the Divine Essence, 
called the Father, which may be considered as the Divine Love, 
or the Divine Good, cannot be communicated to man, or in the 
least wise perceived by him, except in and through the medium 
of the Divine Form, called the Son, which may be considered as 
the Divine Wisdom, or the Divine Truth ; and further, as this 
effect can only take place according to the capacity of the reci- 
pient subject, who is in the actual faitli and acknowledgment of 
the Divinity of the Lord's Humanity, therefore it is said, that 
i 6 no man knoweth the Father but the Son, and he to whom the 
" Son will reveal him." 



[21.] Matt. xi. 28. " Come unto me, all ye that labour, and 
" are heavy laden, and J will give you rest." See also John 

vi. sr. 



When men have been labouring and toiling through life, weigh- 
ed down with calamity, and oppressed by the heavy hand of af- 
fliction ; and when, in addition to all this, they are assailed by 
the powers of darkness, and permitted to fall into manifold and 
grievous temptations, so that even their spiritual life is brought 
into jeopardy ; to whom should they fly for refuge, for consola- 
tion, and for rest ? Sorry comforters must they be, who on such 



4b' 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



an occasion would direct them to a mere man, or even to an angel 
of the highest order in heaven. The great Jehovah invites them 
to himself, as being alone capable of giving the wished-for help, 
and of delivering from troubles, dangers, and death. " Look un- 
" to me, (says he,) and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth : for 
" lam God, and there is none else," Isa. xlv. 22. " When thou 
" passest through the waters, I will be with thee ; and through 
" the rivers, they shall not overflow thee : when thou walkest 
4i through the fire, thou shalt not be burnt ; neither shall the 
"flame kindle upon thee. For I am Jehovah thy God, the Holy 
4; One of Israel, thy Saviour," Isa. xliii. 2. And again, " My 
" presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest," 
Exod. xxxiii. 14. " When the poor and needy seek water, and 
64 there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I Jehovah 

will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them," Isa. 
xli. 17. " God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in 
»> trouble," Ps. xlvi. 1. 

Such, in the Old Testament, is the language of a Creator, who 
is at once the Parent, the Benefactor, and the Saviour of his help- 
less creatures ; alone competent to redress their grievances, and 
to supply their wants, because alone the centre and the source of 
every divine blessing. No less expressive, and equally impor- 
tant, is the language of Jesus in the Gospel, who, changing 
the terms, yet retaining the ideas of the prophets, announces him- 
self to his people as their only refuge in affliction, their only hope 
in distress. " Come unto me, all ye that labour, and are heavy 
" laden, and I will give you rest" Can the great Jehovah him- 
self say more, or do more, for his offspring, than is here promised 

to be done by the equally great Jesus ? " The equally great 

" Jesus ! ? !" — Yes, the equally great Jesus : we do not retract 
the words, but proceed to prove and confirm them. 

First of all, It is abundantly declared in the Sacred Scrip- 
tures, and immediately assented to by every sound mind, that 
there is only One God of heaven and earth, distinguished by a 
variety of names, all announcing his divine Supremacy $ among 
which are Jehovah, Father, Lord, Almighty, &c. &c. Se- 
condly, To Jesus Chrxst are applied almost all the names of 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



4, 



Jehovah expressly, but without exception all his characters, at- 
tributes, and perfections ; which is a circumstance that never 
could or would have found a place in writings dictated solely by 
Jehovah himself, unless it was intended to be understood, that 
Jesus and Jehovah were one and the same Divine Being. Who 
that examines the following passages with any degree of attention, 
can refuse to acknowledge, that the great personage, called Je- 
hovah in the Old Testament, is no other that Jesus in the New ? 
Let us compare the Prophets with the Evangelists : truth will be 
the result. 



Prophets. 
Isa. xl. S. " The voice of 
"him that crieth in the wil- 
" derness, Prepare ye the way 
" of Jehovah, make straight in 
" the desert a highway for our 
« God." 



Mai. iv. 5. " Behold, I send 
" you Elijah the prophet, before 
" the coming; of the great and 
" dreadful day of Jehovah." 



Micah v. 2. 66 But thou, 
" Bethlehem Ephratah, though 
" thou be little among the thou- 
" sands of Judah, yet out of thee 
" shall he come forth unto me, 
" that is to be Ruler in Israel : 



Evangelists. 
Matt. iii. 3. « This is he 
" [John the Baptist] that was 
" spoken of by the prophet 
" Esaias, saying, The voice of 
" one crying in the wilderness, 
" Prepare ye the way of the 
" Lord, make his paths 
" straight." 

Matt xi. 10, 14. « This is 
" he of whom it is written, Be- 
"hold, I send my messenger 
"before thy face, which shall 
" prepare thy way before thee. 
" And if ye will receive it, this 
"is Elias which was for to 
" come." 

See also Mark i. 2, 3. Luke 
i. 76. 

Luke ii. 11. "Unto you is- 
" born this day, in the city of 
" David, [Bethlehem,'] a Sa- 
" viour, which is Christ the 
" Lord." 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



Prophets. 
whose goings forth have been 
of old, from everlasting." 
Isa, xlv. 15, 21, 22. " Verily 
thou art a God that hidest 
thyself, O God of Israel the 
Saviour. There is no God 
else beside me, a just God 
and a Saviour, there is none 
beside me. Look unto me, 
and be ye saved, all the ends 
of the earth: for I am God, 
and there is none else." 



Isa. ix. 6. " Unto us a 
" Child is born, unto us a Son 
" is given, and the government 
" shall be upon his shoulder : 
" and his name shall be called 
" Wonderful. Counsellor, the 



Evangelists. 



Matt. i. 20, 21. "The an- 
" gel of the Lord appeared un- 
" to Joseph in a dream, saying, 
"Joseph, thou son of David, 
" fear not to take unto thee 
" Mary thy wife : for that which 
" is conceived in her is of the 
" Holy Spirit. And she shall 
" bring forth a Son, and thou 
" shalt call his name Jesus : for 
" he shall save his people from 
" their sins." 

Matt. ii. 4 to 6. "When 
" Herod had gathered all the 
" chief priests and scribes of 
" the people together, he de- 
" manded of them where Christ 
" should be born. And they 
" said unto him, In Bethlehem 
" of Judea : for thus it is writ- 
" ten by the prophet ; And thou 
" Bethlehem in the land of Ju- 
« dah art not the least among 
" the princes of Judah : for out 
" of thee shall come a Gover- 
" nor, that shall rule my peo- 
"ple Israel." 

John x. 30. " J and my Fa- 
" ther are one." 

John xiv. 8, 9. " Philip saith 
" unto him, Lord, shew us the 
" Father, and it sufficeth us. Je- 
" sus saith unto him, Have / 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



49 



Evangelists. 
'•been so long time with you, 
" and yet hast thou not known 
" me, Philip ? he that hath seen 
" me, hath seen the Father." . 

Apoc. i. 8, 17. " I am Al- 
66 pha and Omega, the beginning 
" and the ending, saith the 
"Lord, which is, and which 
" was, and which is to come, 
"the Almighty. And when I 
" saw him, [the Son of Man,] I 
" fell at his feet as dead : and 
;i he laid his right hand upon 
" me, saving unto me, Fear not ; 
" I am the first and the Zasf." 
See also xxi. 6. xxii. 13. 

We will not multiply citations, because proof and confirma- 
tion of the equality of Jesus with Jehovah was all that was ask- 
ed, and behold ! (what is more) the identity of both as one and 
the same God is demonstrated by the Scriptures of truth. 

After this digression, which yet is not to be considered as a 
digression, so far as it tends to establish the main design of this 
volume, namely, the sole, supreme, and exclusive Divinity of our 
blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we now take up the 
thread of our former argument, and proceed as if there had been 
no interruption to the subject. 

In addressing his disciples, and through them the whole human 
race, Jesus does not direct them to an invisible, inaccessible 
Deity, pervading the universe like an ethereal, unsubstantial pri n- 
cipte ; but invites them to himself as a Divine Man, in whom 
are substantiated and centered all the attributes and perfections 
of an infinitely wise and merciful God. Thus the same bless- 
ings, which no one could suppose to be in the gift of any but the 
Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth, Mow- equally from the hand 
of Jesus, and from the hand of Jehovah. 



" Mighty God, the everlasting 
• Father, the Prince of peace." 

Isa. xliv. 6. « Thus saith 
"Jehovah the King of Israel, 
"and his Redeemer Jehovah 
"of hosts, I" am the first, and 
" I am the last ; and besides me 
6i there is no God. ?> 

See also Isa. xii. 4. xiviii, 12. 



50 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



What ! then, can a Man, or any Being in the form of a Man* 
bring deliverance from enemies, security from danger, and salva- 
tion from destruction, to those who call upon his name> and ap- 
proach his person ? Can a Man be our refuge in the storm of 
life, our hope in years to come, and our everlasting rest ? " Yes !" 
exclaims the prophet Isaiah, with a voice loud enough to be heard 
from one end of heaven to the other, " A Man shall be as an 
" hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest: 
66 [a Man shall be] as rivers of water in a dry place, as the sha- 
« dow of a great rock in a weary land," Isa. xxxii. 2. But it is 
the Divine Man Jesus Christ, who is thus described, and who 
therefore can be no less than the Supreme and Omnipotent God 
in a human form. 

The conclusion, then, which most evidently results from all 
these considerations, is, that both Jesus and Jehovah are per- 
sonally and identically one ; with this only difference, that Je- 
hovah of the Old Testament is the yet invisible, unmanifested 
God, while Jesus of the New Testament is the same God now 
incarnate or manifest in the flesh, and appearing in the form of a 
Man, 



[22.] Matt. xii. 6. « I say unto you, that in this place is one 
" greater than the temple." 

It is well known, that the temple, as being dedicated to the 
worship of Jehovah, the supreme God of heaven and earth, was 
accounted most holy ; and that no profanation or contempt, 
either of the building itself, or of the things which it contained, 
was on any account tolerated, but severely prohibited. So holy 
indeed was it, especially the ark and the testimony within it, 
that the high priest himself was permitted only once in a year to 
enter it's interior recess, called the holy of holies, and even then 
not until he was prepared by purifications and oblations, accord- 
ing to an order prescribed for the purpose. Nothing therefore 
could be conceived of as greater and more holy that the temple, 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



51 



except Him, to whom it was erected, and whose name was plac- 
ed therein. He was greater than the temple, because from lam 
all it's sanctity was derived. And vet the same honour, which 
was due to Jehovah, was claimed by Jesus : for of himself he 
says, that " in this place is one greater than the temple.-' This is 
not the language of a mere man, as some would make him, nor of 
one deputed by the hi°;h God to teach mankind lessons of meek- 
ness and humility. But is evidently the language of one, who is 
conscious in himself, that the temple and all it's appendages had 
reference to his own person (John ii. 19 to 21. :) that the rever- 
ence which was paid to it, as well as the worship which ascend- 
ed to heaven from within it's walls, had him alone for it's ulti- 
mate Object ; and that the character and name of all that is 
called God among angels or men, exclusively belonged to him- 
self. 

In agreement with these sentiments, it is also written of the 
holy city New Jerusalem, when seen to descend from God out 
of heaven, " I saw no temple therein : for the Lord God dlmigh- 
" ty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no 
" need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it : for the 
u glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof, ?? 
Apoc. xxi. 22, 23. Here the temple, as representative of the great 
Object of worship, disappears by reason of the superior bright- 
ness and effulgence of him, who in the supreme sense is the tem- 
ple itself, it's glory, and it's light. The Lord God Almighty and 
the Lamb, that is, Jehovah and Jesus, or the Divinity and the 
Humanity, are both said to constitute this living temples the 
reason of which is, because both together constitute one and the 
same undivided God : in like manner (comparatively speaking) 
as the soul and body together constitute one and the same indi- 
vidual man. 

It is in this way alone, that such passages as the above can be 
at all understood, in consistency with those numerous other de- 
clarations of Holy Scripture, which so strenuously insist upon the 
Divine Unity, and the exclusion of every other name in heaven 
or on earth, from the smallest participation in the honours due to 
God alone. 



52 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



[23.] Matt. xii. 8. " The Son of Man is Lord even of the 
" sabbath-day.' 7 See also Mark ii. 28. Luke vi. 5. 

The sabbath -day was instituted (speaking according to the let- 
ter of the Word) in perpetual commemoration, first, of the con* 
elusion of the great work of creation, or of the rest which Jeho - 
vah entered into when he had ceased from his divine labours, 
Exod. xx. 8 to 11; chap. xxxi. 13 to 17; and secondly, in com- 
memoration of the deliverance or escape of the children of Israel 
out of the land of Egypt, Deut. v. 14, 15. In either ease it was 
sacred to Jehovah, and peculiarly set apart for the solemn wor- 
ship of him alone. Most emphatically therefore is it urged in all 
the books of Moses, and by the prophets who succeeded him, that 
Jehovah himself is Loud of the sabbath-day, because by him it 
was created, and to him and his honour it was exclusively de- 
voted. 

But behold ! a new claimant starts into view, and challenges 
for himself the heretofore undisputed title and dignity of Sove- 
reign Lord in the church; if indeed the term new can with any 
propriety be predicated of him, who, though in respect to his flesh 
" not fifty years old," yet says of himself, " Before Abraham 
f 6 was 7 I am," John viii. 58; and who consequently must be, like 
the Ancient of days, the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever, that 
is, from eternity to eternity the same infinite and unchangeable 
God. This new claimant {new only to his church in the charac- 
ter of a Divine Man, but " whose goings forth" in the spirit 
" have been from of old, even from the days cf eternity," Micah 
v. 2.) is at once perceived to be no other than our blessed Lord 
and Saviour Jesus Christ, who is on all hands admitted to be 
the great personage intended by the Son of Man. It is he that 
lifts up his voice in the midst of angels and men, and knowing no 
superior, no equal, either in heaven above, or on the earth below, 
presents himself to them as the great Object referred to in all the 
rituals and ceremonials of representative worship among the 
Israel itish people ; and thus collecting as it were all the sancti- 
ties of the divine law into one point, proclaims himself Lord 
even of the sabbath-day. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 53 

Many proofs of the divine nature, character, and person of Je- 
sus, are to be found in this volume ; and many more in the Sa- 
cred Scriptures of truth. But which of them is more evident, or 
more satisfactory to an unprejudiced, enlightened mind, than that 
which is here offered, when compared with the various circum- 
stances attending the institution of the sabbath ? To be Lord 
0/ the sabbath, is to be no less than the God of the universe : it is 
to be the Creator of heaven and earth, the Redeemer and the De- 
liverer of his people from all their miseries and afflictions : it is 
to be their Saviour, their Guide, their Refuge, their Rest and 
Peace, their Heaven, their Portion, and their everlasting Felicity. 

All this is to be found, if sought for, in Jesus alone. But 
there must be no participator with him in divine majesty, ho- 
nour, and glory, no not so much as in a transient thought or idea. 
No suspicion, much less admission, of any other Deity must for a 
moment be entertained : but all worship, all acknowledgment, all 
affection, and all thought, must for ever be directed to, and cen- 
tre in, his Divine Body, that glorious Form of light and love ? 
which alone contains, exclusively contains, all that is called, or 
deserves, the name of God. The man, who thus worships, and 
thus lives, is already elevated to the angelic heaven ; and though 
he may not see and hear, in a sensible way, what passes among 
the blessed spirits in that celestial region, yet he himself is 
known to them as a terrestrial visitant, and jointly with them he 
celebrates and glorifies their common Lord. 



[24.] Matt. xii. 25. « And Jesus knew their thoughts." See 
also Mark ii. 8. Luke vi. 8 5 chap. ix. 47; chap. xi. 17. John 
ii. 24, 25; chap. xiii. 11; chap. xvi. 19, SO; chap, xviii. 4: 
chap. xxi. 17. 

Already, under article 13, we have had occasion to remark on 
the circumstance of Jesus knowing the thoughts of men. It is 
again repeated here, and in other parts of the Gospel 5 and it is 
truly a most distinguishing feature in his divine character. Until 
a Socinian Unitarian can verify his own claim to so high a prero- 



54 A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 

gative, it must be with an ill grace indeed that he sets himself up 
as the equal of Jesus, or what amounts to the same thing, that he 
degrades the Saviour to a level with himself. To press an argu- 
ment beyond it's free and fair range, is not our wish : but we 
leave it to the candour and good sense of the reader to determine 
for himself, whether so extraordinary a faculty as that of know- 
ing the thoughts of others, which was repeatedly exemplified by 
Jesus, and never acknowledged by \m% to have been derived 
from any Divine Being different from, and superior to, himself, 
can possibly be ranked among the attributes of mere humanity. 
If convinced that it cannot, then he will without hesitation ac- 
knowledge, that he must have been more than a man. 

But the Evangelist John will not allow us to stop here, but 
raises our idea of the intellectual power of Jesus to the highest 
conceivable pitch. He makes him, in short, omniscient ; in plain 
terms declaring, that " he knew all men, and needed not that any 
" should testify of man ; for he knew what was in man" John ii. 
24, 25. Peter also, the great spokesman of the disciples in all 
matters relative to faith, thus addresses his Divine Master : 
44 Lord, thou knowest all things," John xxi. 17. The very cha- 
racter of Jehovah himself, as given by the prophet : " Thus 
" saith Jehovah, I know the things that come into your mind, 
" every one of them" Ezek. xi. 5. Yet this character belongs 
also to Jesus t and therefore, while we lift up our eyes in admi- 
ration of the one, we are constrained equally to venerate and ac- 
knowledge the high attribute of the other. But in so doing, and 
in so describing the perfection of Jehovah, and the perfection of 
Jesus, let it not be supposed, that our distinction involves any 
difference as to person ; for it extends only to the names and ex- 
pressions, which (as is well known) may be various, while the 
great Being, whom they alike designate, is still one and the same. 
This is the case in the present instance, where the peculiar prero- 
gative of knowing the thoughts of man is ascribed by the Prophet 
to Jehovah, and by the Evangelist to Jesus. 

To such wisdom, such perception, nothing can be added : we 
can only wonder and adore 5 or else with the Psalmist exclaim-* 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



55 



<« Great is our Lord, and of great power : his understanding 7*s 
infinite" Ps. cxlvii. 5. 



[25.] Matt. xii. 31, 32. " J set?/ ?m£o ?/om, All manner of sin 
" and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men : but the blasphemy 
« against the Spirit shall not be forgiven unto men. And whoso- 
<* ever speaketh a word against the Son of Man, it shall be for- 
" given him : but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Spirit, it 
« shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in the world 
« to come." See also Mark iii. 28, 29. Luke xii. 10. 



Who is it that here announces what crime shall, and what 
shall not, be forgiven unto the children of men, either in this 
world, or in that which is to come ? Or who is it that presumes 
to distinguish between the effects of blasphemy against the Son of 
Man, and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit ; declaring, that 
this latter is a sin unto eternal death, while the former, together 
with every other conceivable transgression, (not excepting even 
those committed against the Creator and Father of the universe,) 
may meet with the merciful consideration of an offended God ? 
On a subject like this, is it to be believed, than any mere mortal 
man either would or could undertake to deliver himself in terms 
to the following effect ? " I, even I, of my own personal autho- 
" rity, underived from any other source of divine information? 
" than that which springs within myself, announce and proclaim, 
" that sins and blasphemies of every kind shall be freely forgiven 
" unto men, except only the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, 
" which shall never be forgiven, neither in this world, nor in the 
" world to come." Is it, we say, to gain credit for a moment, 
that such could possibly be the language of any mere man, of any 
mere angel, or, in short, of any being in heaven or on earth, but 
the Supreme and Omniscient God himself? For who else can 
penetrate the inmost recesses of the human heart, and from a 
view of it's latent tendencies, even before and while they rise 
into action, discern the states and qualities of the life, the van- 



56 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



ous shades and degrees of guilt, what is venial in the offences of 
mankind, and what in the nature of things can never be removed 
or amended by any application of the divine mercy or the divine 
power ? 

Jesus, therefore, in authoritatively assuming to himself the 
high character of Judge and Discriminator of all actions, of all 
Intentions, and of all hearts, most plainly announces his supreme 
Divinity, and thereby teaches us to look up to him alone as to our 
Father and our God. 

But, in addition to the conclusion so justly inferred from the 
terms, the manner, and the spirit of our Lord's words above re- 
cited, an explanation of the true meaning of the passage may 
prove acceptable to the reader. For indeed it must appear a 
most extraordinary circumstance, altogether unaccountable on 
the principles which generally prevail in what is called the Chris- 
tian church, that an offence committed against one of the suppos- 
ed persons in the Divine Trinity should be visited with such re- 
lentless severity, while every other crime of enormity is placed 
within the reach of pardon. And the difficulty is still more in- 
creased, when it is considered, that of the three divine persons, 
which constitute the Godhead, according to the generally receiv- 
ed faith, no one is greater or less than another, no one is before 
or after another ; but they are all in divinity one, in glory equal, 
in majesty co-eternal. Or, if any precedence be imagined be- 
tween the one and the other, it is very remarkable, that the per- 
son of the Holy Ghost, who is always the last in order of nomina- 
tion, should yet be guarded by a law of sacred inviolability, in 
preference to either the Father or the Son. 

Some, we know, in order to account for this seeming inequality 
in the dispensations of the divine mercy and favour, have con- 
jectured that the death of Christ was not appointed for the ex- 
piation of the sin or blasphemy against the Holy Ghost; and 
therefore, there being no sacrifice for it, that there can be no sa- 
tisfaction, and consequently no pardon. But this mode of rea- 
soning, so far from removing one difficulty, which presses on the 
mind of the candid inquirer, presents to his view a new assem- 
blage of other difficulties and absurdities, which he perhaps had 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



tf 



not before thought of ; and still leaves the question on the ine- 
quality of the divine favours undecided. For on a supposition 
that the sins of mankind were removed by the sacrifice and atone- 
ment, which our Saviour made on the cross, it may be asked, 
Why did not that sacrifice and atonement include every possible 
case ? Or with much greater propriety may the previous question 
be put, Why should a God of infinite love and mercy require any 
sacrifice or atonement at all ? more especially as he himself saith 
by one of his prophets, " I desired mercy, and not sacrifice^ 
Hos. vi. 6 : and by another, " I, even I, am he that blotteth out 
" thy transgressions for mine own sake" Isa. xliii. 25 ; conse- 
quently not by reason of any sacrifice or atonement, to appease 
the cry of vindictive justice, but out of pure meroy and compas* 
sion to the human race. 

Begone, therefore, such vain and fruitless surmises relative to 
the divine proceedings, which, though founded in perfect justice, 
are all conducted with the purest mercy. To those who are al- 
ready in the perception and acknowledgment of this truth, no 
elucidation can be necessary ; but to others the following obser- 
vations may be serviceable, being chiefly drawn from the theolo- 
gical writings of the late Hon. Emanuel Swedenborg. 

In the Word mention is frequently made of the Son of Man? 
and the Son of God ; each expression being applied to the Lord, 
but in a different sense, according to the nature of the subject 
treated of. Whenever reference is had to his birth, his divinity, 
his unity with the Father, his divine power, faith in him, or life 
proceeding from him, and in general to his Divine Humanity, 
then the Lord is for the most part called the Son of God ; as in 
John v. 25 ; chap. vi. 69 ; chap. ix. 35 ; chap. x. 36 ; and else- 
where. But when the subject treated of is the passion of the 
cross, the last judgment, his second advent, and in general re- 
demption, salvation, reformation, or regeneration, then the Lord 
calls himself the Son of Man ; as in Matt. xxvi. 64. Luke xviiL 
31. John v. 27; chap. vi. 53 ; chap. xii. 23, 34. Not to mention 
many other passages, in all of which, by the expression Son of 
Man is meant the Lord as to the Word; But as the Jews were 
conversant with thfe literal sense of th* Word only, and kne^r 

H 



/ 



58 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



nothing of it's interior or spiritual contents, their rejection of the 
Lord as the Son of Man implies their rejection and perversion of 
that part of the Word, with which they were acquainted, rather 
than of that which had never been manifestly revealed to them. 
And hence it is safe to conclude, that by the Son of Man is here 
particularly meant the natural or literal sense of the Word, such 
as we have on earth ; which sense, for the greater part, consists 
of the appearances of truth, and is capable of being turned or in- 
terpreted every way. 

By the Holy Spirit is meant the Lord as to the divine truth 
proceeding from him, or as to the Word, such as it is in it's spi- 
ritual or internal sense, consequently such as it is in heaven 5 for 
this sense is perceived by angels, and gives sanctity to the literal 
sense, which is perceived by men. But the Holy Spirit not only 
signifies the divine truth as received by angels in heaven, but 
also in it's degree as received by the regenerate in this life 5 for 
with all such the genuine truths of the Word are inscribed in 
their hearts and lives, and are considered by them as holy and in- 
violable. 

Having thus seen what is properly signified by the Son of Man, 
and what by the Holy Spirit, we may now distinctly perceive 
what is meant by speaking a word against the Son of Man, 
namely, that it is to interpret the literal sense of the Scriptures 
according to the mere appearances of truth, with which they 
abound. Now, should a person, who has never been instructed 
concerning the distinction between the literal and the spiritual 
sense of the Word, interpret any passage in a sense not in agree- 
ment with this latter, yet without confirming himself therein, to 
the destruction of divine truth in it's genuine sense, he will in- 
deed be guilty of speaking a word against the Son of Man ; but 
as it is not done from an evil heart, but only from ignorance, in 
which is a degree of innocence 3 therefore it is such kind of sin or 
blasphemy as may be forgiven : it is, as the Apostle John says, 
" a sin not unto death," 1 Epist. v. 17. 

Such then appears to be the true nature of that offence, which 
our Lord calls speech or discourse against the Son of Man ; an 
offence, to which, as weak and ignorant creatures, we are all 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



59 



most prone, and which therefore is perpetually passed over in 
mercy to the best and the wisest of mankind. But widely and 
awfully different is the sin or blasphemy against the Holy Spirit^ 
which shall not, which in it's own nature cannot, be forgiven, 
neither in this age, nor in that which is to come. We shall there- 
fore endeavour briefly to shew, that this sin consists in the fol- 
lowing particulars, viz. 1. In a denial of the divinity of Jesus 
Christ. 2. In a denial of the Word, or Sacred Scriptures. 
3. In the adulteration of it's genuine goods, and in the falsifica- 
tion of it's genuine truths. 4. In a denial of divine truth, after 
it is once inscribed or implanted in the life, which also is no less 
than profanation. 

1. In respect to the first of these, namely, a denial of the divi- 
nity of Jesus Christ; that this is blasphemy against the Holy 
Spirit, appears from the circumstance, which gave occasion to 
the Lord to speak in the manner he did. He had been casting 
out a devil in the presence of the people ; and when the Phari- 
sees heard it, they charged him with having an unclean spirit, 
and said, " This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelze- 
" bub the prince of the devils." Now as all the Lord's miracles, 
performed on the bodies of men, represented his divine power in 
healing their spirits, that is, in regenerating them, so this miracle 
of casting out a devil represented that change of mind which a 
man undergoes, who suffers the Lord to subdue or cast out his 
evil affections, his wicked propensities, consisting in the inordi- 
nate love of self and of the world, and in their stead to implant 
the heavenly affections of love to the Lord, and charity towards 
his neighbour. And as this change can only be effected by a di- 
vine agency, proceeding from the Lord himself, it is evident, that 
he who denies the Lord to be possessed of this divine power, can 
never become the subject of it's operation, and consequently can 
never be saved. For salvation is conjunction with the Lord, and 
with heaven ; and he who denies the Lord, must, in the very na- 
ture of things, be separated from him, and of consequence from 
heaven. To say therefore that what proceeds from the Lord is 
not holy in itself, is to deny the Divinity of his Humanity 5 and 
to assert that he is a mere man, or a mere angel, is the same thing 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



as to assert that he hath an unclean spirit, Mark iii. SO; for in his 
sight, who alone is holy, Apoc. xv. 4, both angels and men are 
filthy and unclean, Job xv, 15, 16. Ps. xiv. 3. Isa. lxiv. 6. Nay, 
to ascribe to Jesus any thing short of personal and proper divi- 
nity, and to be confirmed therein both in doctrine and in life, is 
coming within the description of those, who exclude themselves 
from heaven, and who are therefore said to be guilty of a sin unto 
death, 1 John v. 16; or, in other words, of blasphemy against the 
Holy Spirit, which cannot be forgiven, neither in this age, nor in 
that which is to come. 

These sentiments are confirmed by the following passages in 
the Word. " He that believeth on the Son, hath everlasting life : 
" and he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath 
66 of God abideth on him," John iii. 36. Jesus said, " If ye be- 
u lieve not that Jam, ye shall die in your sins" John viii. 24. " He 
" that denieth me before men, shall be denied before the angels of 
" God," Luke xii. 9. To believe on the Son, is not merely to 
believe in the existence of Jesus as a man, for this did the scribes 
and Pharisees his enemies, but to acknowledge the Divinity of 
his Humanity ; and this is the faith, which, in conjunction with 
charity, has the promise of everlasting life. Whence it follows, 
that to disbelieve the Son, or to have no living faith in him, is the 
same thing as to deny the divinity of the Lord ; and of such as 
are guilty hereof it is said, that they shall not see life, that the 
wrath of God abideth on them, that they shall die in their sins t 
and shall be denied before the angels of God. 

In addition to the evidence arising from Scripture, we may 
also gather from the true nature and fitness of things, that no 
person, who denies the divinity of the Lord, while he con- 
tinues in such denial, can be admitted into heaven. If it be al- 
lowed, that heaven derives all it's essence from the Lord's Hu^ 
manity, which must be the case if the inhabitants are members 
of his body, then it will follow, that no person can have a place 
therein, but he who acknowledges the Lord as his head ; com- 
paratively as no member of the human body can continue to be 
such, without receiving life from the head, and thus as it were 
acknowledging the source from which it derives it's support. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 61 



No subject can gain admission to the court of an earthly prince, 
while he refuses to acknowledge his right and title to the crown ; 
such a person, by the very nature and fitness of things, being 
self-excluded. It is just the same with respect to admission into 
heaven, which is the court of the King of kings. All who enter 
the gates of that palace, must bear true allegiance to their lawful 
Sovereign Jesus Christ ; they must be loyal subjects ; they must 
love him with their hearts ; they must confess him with their 
tongues ; and none else can taste angelic happiness, or even 
breathe celestial air.* 

2. The reason why a denial of the Word, or Sacred Scriptures, 
Is also included in the sin against the Holy Spirit, is, because 
they who deny the Word, deny also it's interior contents, which 
are holy and divine ; they deny the Lord, they deny the exis- 
tence of a heaven and a hell, and they deny the church, together 
with all things appertaining to it. Such persons, inasmuch as 
they have, by their denial of all revealed religion, destroyed the 
bond of connection between themselves and heaven, cannot but 
be separated from it. This state of mind, therefore, being op- 
posed and averse to all that is holy and divine, it may with too 
much truth be said of them who are the subjects of it, that they 
are guilty of the sin or blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. 

3. Again, to adulterate the essential or genuine goods of the 
Word, and to falsify iVs essential or genuine truths, is also a sin 
or blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. We will take an exam- 
ple. Mention is made in the Evangelists of the blood of the 
New Testament, which is shed for many ; and in the Revelation 
it is said, that Michael and his angels fought against the dragon 
and his angels, and overcame them by the blood of the Lamb. 
Whoever now, from these and similar expressions in the Sacred 
Scriptures, takes up the idea, that God the Father was reconciled 
to the human race by beholding the sufferings and death of his 
Son, and that man is justified and saved by mere faith or be- 
lief therein, without any regard to repentance or works of chari- 

* These last observations are extracted from the Author's Defence of the 
JVew Jerusalem, in Letters to Dr. Priestley, p. 391. 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



ty, such a person, if he confirms himself in this error not only 
in doctrine, but also in life, beeomes guilty of the sin or blasphe- 
my against the Holy Spirit ; because in such case he blasphemes 
the Divine Being, by ascribing to him mere human properties, he 
falsifies the Word, perverts it's genuine sense, and thus destroys 
the divine truth contained in it, which teaches, that God is love 
itself, mercy itself, goodness itself, and that he needeth no sacrifice, 
no atonement, no shedding of blood, to excite his compassion. For 
indeed it cannot be said even of a good man, that any sacrifice or 
atonement is necessarv to reconcile him to his offending brother : 
the principle of charity within him ever prompting him to love 
and forgive. If this then be true of a good man, whose love is 
finite and derived from the Lord, how much more must it be so 
with the Lord himself, whose love is infinite, " whose sun riseth 
" on the evil and on the good," and " whose tender mercies are 
4 * over all his works ! ? ' 

4. We will now shew, that the sin or blasphemy against the 
Holy Spirit consists also in a denial of divine truth, after it is 
once inscribed or implanted in the life, which is no less than pro- 
fanation. This state is described by the Lord in the following 
words : 44 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he 
44 walketh through dry places, seeking rest ; and finding none, 
" he saith, I will return unto my house, whence I came out. And 
44 when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then 
* 4 goeth he, and takeih with him seven other spirits more wicked 
44 than himself* and they enter in, and dwell there. And the 
^ last state of that man is worse than the first" Luke xi. 24 to 
26. By the unclean spirit going out of a man, is meant his ac- 
knowledgment of truth, and a life in agreement therewith at first. 
By the house swept and garnished, is meant the rejection of truth, 
and his life afterwards in opposition to it. By the return of the 
unclean spirit, with seven others more wicked than himself, is 
meant a state of profanation : wherefore the last state of that 
man is declared to be worse than the first. 

Having thus considered what we are to understand by the sin 
or blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, and seen that it consists 
in a denial of the Lord and his Word, and in the perversion and 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 63 



profanation of it's divine truths, more especially after they have 
been once received and acknowledged, (an offence far exceeding 
in turpitude those venial imperfections of our nature, which are 
implied in speaking- a word agaitist the Son of Man, J we shall 
only add another observation or two in conclusion. The unhap- 
py lot, which persons guilty of the crime above-mentioned have 
reason to expect as awaiting them in another life, is not to be 
viewed as a mere arbitrarious act of vengeance proceeding from 
an offended Deity, by way of retaliation for having denied him 
in his life, for no such vindictive temper can find a place in the 
Divine Mind ; neither is it to be supposed, that there is any want 
of mercy and compassion, on the Lord's part, towards such of 
his creatures as may hereafter be involved in the penalties atten- 
dant on blaspheming his Word. But it is rather to be considered 
as the necessary, as the inseparable consequence of that state of 
mind, which the person has chosen for himself by actual life, in 
which he has found his delight, and from which therefore he can 
never be withdrawn after death. 

It is true, so far as is possible, consistently with the freedom of 
man, the Lord is, by his divine providence, in the continual en- 
deavour to prevent the sin of blasphemy and profanation ; and 
where this cannot be effected without permitting men to remain 
in ignorance of divine things, as was the case with the Jews, 
there it is said of the Lord, that 64 he hath blinded their eyes, and 
" hardened their heart, that they should not see with their eyes, 
" nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should 
" heal them," John xii. 40. To be converted and healed here, 
means to believe and acknowledge divine truths : and as the Lord 
foresaw, that they would not continue therein till the end of life, 
but would recede from them, and thus be guilty of profanation, 
he therefore in mercy permitted their eyes to be blinded, and 
their hearts hardened, that they should not see with their eyes, 
nor understand with their hearts. Hence, and from the whole 
tenour of the divine dispensations of God to man, we have every 
reason to be thankful, not only for positive, but also for negative 
mercies, and to conclude concerning all such as are finally lost, 
that, as the Prophet says, " their blood is upon their oivh heads, 1 ' 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OP 



Ezek. xxxiii. 4 : for, " As I live, saith the Lord God, / have no 
64 pleasure in the death of him that dieth ; but would rather thai 
« the wicked turn from his way, and live" Ezek. xviii. 32; chap, 
xxxiii. 11. 



[26.] Matt. xii. 41, 42. " The men of Nineveh shall rise in 
"judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it; because 
" they repented at the preaching of Jonas ; and behold, a greater 
" than Jonas is here. The queen of the south shall rise up in 
" the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it : for 
" she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wis- 
" dom of Solomon ; and behold, a greater than Solomdnis here." 
See also Luke xi. 31, 32. 



After reading a passage like this, will any one be so inconsi- 
derate as to contend, that Jesus was no greater than any other 
man ? As a prophet and messenger of Jehovah, deputed to com- 
municate his will and pleasure to mankind, Jonas was equal to 
any of his predecessors, not excepting even Moses himself : for 
in his sight, who alone is self-essent and self-existent, angels, 
men, and worms, are alike — nothing. Yet, as a wide exception 
from the character and rank of a mere creature, messenger, or 
prophet, Jesus, who best knew his own infinite superiority, and 
needed no testimony from man to prove or confirm it, distinguish- 
es himself above all such as derive their commission from another, 
or act in subordination to any higher authority than their own. 
The men of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah, \vh& 
was merely an instrument in the hand of Jehovah to warn them 
of a threatened calamity : but the men of Judea refused to listen 
to the voice of him, who was greater than Jonah, of him who in 
fact was Jonah's God, as well as the God of Moses and the rest 
of the prophets. 

It is again further asserted, that Jesus was greater than Solo* 
mon, who was yet the wisest of men, the wealthiest, and the most 
splendid monarch of the east, But how can such language be 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



65 



justified, if Jesus is to be considered in no higher capacity, than 
that of a mere man? Even John the Baptist, who, it appears, had 
never performed a miracle, was declared to be equal, if not su- 
perior, in dignity to all who had preceded him, whether pro- 
phets, priests, or kings ; and for no other reason, than because he 
was the immediate precursor of Jesus. Yet this same John, 
well knowing the relation in which he stood to Jesus, and the na- 
ture of the commission which he bore, most emphatically pro- 
claims to those around him, " There standeth one among you, 
" whom ye know not : He it is, who, coming after me, is prefer- 
6i red before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not ivorthy to unloose" 
John i. 26, 27. If then the character, office, and person, of John 
the Baptist will stand in competition with those of Solomon, or 
David, or Moses, or Elias, and lose nothing in the comparison ; 
while, on the other hand, the bare imagination of any thing re- 
sembling equality between him and his great Lord, is treated 
with that solemn aversion, which betokens the deepest humilia- 
tion on the part of John ; in the name of Wonder and holy Ad- 
miration, what sort of a Being must Jesus himself be, at whose 
sacred feet even the greatest, the wisest, and the best of mankind 
are totally unworthy to prostrate themselves ! ! 

Revelation, which publishes, can alone explain, this great mys- 
tery. And that distinctly teaches, " that it was God himself who 
" was in the world ; and that, although the world was made by 
" him, yet the world knew him not," John i. 10 ; as unhappily is 
the case even to the present day. And again, " The Lord God 
" of Israel hath visited and redeemed his people," Luke i. 68. 
« Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and shall bring forth a Son, and 
"his name shall be called Immanuel, that is, God with us," 
Isa. vii. 14. Matt. i. 22, 23. " Unto us a Child is born, unto us 
" a Son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder; 
" and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the 
i; mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of peace/' 
Isa. ix. 6. 

Well then might the Baptist give such extraordinary testimo- 
ny of Jesus, when by an ancient prophecy, which lie had been 
appointed to fulfil, he was expressly enjoined to announce him- 

I 



66 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



self as " the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye 
" the way of Jehovah, make straight in the desert a highway for 
" our God," Isa. xl. 5. Luke iii. 4. Mai. iv. 5. Thus the whole 
mystery is at once resolved by the light of divine truth alone ; 
Jehovah himself is seen to descend from heaven, in order to 
visit, to redeem, and to save his people 5 and though conversant 
among them in the form of a Child, a Son, a Man, he is never- 
theless declared to be infinitely superior to the whole race of 
mankind, being no less, with respect to his divine nature and 
person, than the mighty God, the everlasting Father of angels 
and men. 



[27.] Matt. xiii. 41. " The Son of Man shall send forth his 
a angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that 
" offend, and them which do iniquity." See also chap. xxiv. 31. 
Mark xiii. 26, 27. 



Pray, who keeps angels of light, ministers to do his good plea- 
sure, save he who created, and by his power sustains all finite 
being ? Or " who in the heavens can be compared unto Jehovah ? 
6i who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto Jeho- 
" vah ?" Ps. Ixxxix. 6. He indeed " hath prepared his throne 
** in the heavens, and his kingdom ruleth over all," Ps. ciii. 19. 
Me " maketh his angels spirits, his ministers a flaming fire," Ps. 
civ. 4. But who is the Son of Man, that in like manner send- 
eth forth his angels, to remove out of his kingdom every thing 
that is opposed to his will, and thus to accomplish the great ends 
of his divine wisdom ? Can he be any other than that same Je- 
hovah, of whom the Psalmist and all the Prophets make such 
glorious mention ? that same Ancient of days, whom the prophet 
Daniel in particular describes as a Man clothed with garments, 
and sitting upon a throne ? of whom it is written, that " a fiery 
u stream issued, and came forth from before him ; that thousand 
" thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten 
;< thousand stood before him ?" Dan. vii. 9, 10. Are not the same 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 67 



dominion, and glory, and kingdom, equally and most expressly 
ascribed to the Ancient of days, that is, to the Most High God, 
and to the Son of Man ? ver. 14, 27. Thus, though they are 
distinguished in name, just as we would distinguish between es- 
sence and form, soul and body, Divinity and Humanity, still in 
idea and in act they are and must be for ever united, yea identi- 
fied as one and the same ever-living, eternal, and undivided God, 
the Parent and Protector of angels and men. 

But further evidence of this great truth still presses to be 
heard : and we cannot refuse the welcome testimony. 44 The 
4i Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto 
" his servants the things which must shortly be done," Apoc. 
xxii. 6. " I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these 
14 things in the churches," ver. 16. Here it is expressly given in 
evidence, first, that the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his 
angel to shew unto his servants the things which were to take 
place ; and, secondly, that Jesus sent his angel to testify to the 
churches the same events. Can ingenuity itself, by any arts of 
sophistry, any abuse of the powers of reasoning, evade the force 
of such united testimony, or for a moment render doubtful the 
verdict that shall be given ? 

The last witness, however, has something more to offer on the 

same subject. Let us hear him again with attention.- 44 My 

44 name (says he) is John : I have already been persecuted and 
44 banished from my country on account of the Word of God, and 
44 the testimony which I formerly gave of Jesus Christ. But 
44 being again permitted to declare what I have actually seen, 
44 and heard, and felt, relative to the same Divine Person, I do 
44 in the first place ratify all my former depositions, and most 
44 solemnly affirm, on the word of a Prophet, an Evangelist, and 
44 an Apostle, that what I have now to say is the truth, and nothing 

44 but the truth." 44 1 was in the spirit on the Lord's day, and 

44 I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, I 
44 am Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last. And I turned 
44 to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned I saw 
44 seven golden candlesticks ; and in the midst of the seven can- 
£ * dlesticks One like wnto the Son of Man, clothed with a gar- 



68 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



« ment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden 
" girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white 
44 as snow ; and his eyes were as a flame of fire ; and his feet 
44 like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace ; and his 
44 voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right 
44 hand seven stars : and out of his mouth went a sharp two- 
44 edged sword : and his countenance was as the sun shineth in 
44 his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead : 
44 and he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not ; 
i6 1 am the First and the Last: I am he that liveth, and was 
"dead; and behold, I am alive far evermore, Amen," Apoc. i, 
10 to 18. 

The whole of this evidence agrees with that of Ezekiel, who 
saw above the firmament the likeness of a throne, and upon that 
the likeness as the appearance of a Man above upon it. He also 
heard " a noise, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the 
44 Almighty God, when he speaketh," Ezek. i. 24 to 28 5 chap. x. 
5. In like manner Daniel describes the Ancient of days, both as 
to his garments, and the hair of his head, chap. vii. 9. In addi- 
tion to which, let us consider the account, which Moses gives of 
Jehovah the God of Israel sitting upon his throne, Exod. xxiv. 
10,11. Then, comparing all these testimonies together, let us 
draw from the whole one general conclusion. The result must 
be, That Jehovah the God of Israel, the Ancient of days, the 
Lord God of the prophets, the Son of Man, the Alpha and Ome- 
ga, the First and the Last, he that was dead, (denied and reject- 
ed,) and yet is alive (acknowledged in his true church) for ever- 
more, together with every other name, character, and signature 
of Deity, whether it be the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit, Creator, 
Redeemer, or Regenerator, Saviour, Master, or Lord, are all re- 
solvable into, and for ever to be identified with, the one blessed 
and adorable name Jesus Christ, 



[28.] Matt. xiv. 15 to 21. " When it was evening, his disci- 
44 pies came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



69 



" is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into 
" the villages, and buy themselves victuals. But Jesus said un- 
« to them, They need not depart, give ye them to eat. And they 
« say unto him, We have here but five loaves and two fishes. He 
« said, Bring them hither to me. And he commanded the multitude 
" to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two 
"fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and 
« gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multi- 
« tude. And they did all eat, and were filled : and they took up 
" of the fragments that remained, twelve baskets full. And they 
4i that had eaten were about five th ousand men, beside women 
" and children." See also chap. xv. 32 to 38. Mark viii. 1 to 10. 
Luke ix. 12 to 17. 



We have repeatedly had occasion to observe, that the character 
and attributes of the Supreme God exclusively belong to Jesus. 
We say exclusively, because wheresoever, or with whomsoever, 
the divine perfections are found to exist at all, there they must, 
of very necessity, abide in all their fulness, to the exclusion of 
every other subject or substance in being. But it is difficult for 
some minds (perhaps in consequence of the peculiar train of edu- 
cation in which they have been brought up,) to admit of such a 
thing as the union of Divinity with Humanity ; conceiving not 
only that the one is infinitely above the other, but that they are 
even opposed to each other in every faculty, quality, and attri- 
bute of their respective natures ; and never for a moment allow- 
ing themselves to reflect, that those principles in Deity, which 
are the source of Humanity in mere finite intelligences, may, 
in a way infinitely surpassing our comprehension, present them- 
selves to the actual view of the creature, in form as a Man, yet 
still in substance and in essence remaining the Infinite and 
Eternal God. Such a view of Deity is exhibited in the person 
of the Divine Man Jesus Christ; not indeed in that infirm body 
of mere flesh and blood, which was alike subject to wounds, and 
even death, with the finite humanity of another man, but in that 
glorified or divine body, which (as lie himself says) came down 
from heaven, and gives life to the world, John vi. 33, 51 to 56 ; 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



that body, which was seen in glory on the mountain by Peter, 
James, and John, Matt. xvii. 1 to 8 : and at the feet of which the 
latter fell down as dead, Apoc. i. 17: in short, that Divine Hu- 
man Form, in which he ascended to heaven, and in which also 
he says, " I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, 
<; which is, and which, was, and which is to come, the Almightv. 
" I am the first and the last : I am he that liveth, and was dead ; 
" (denied and rejected hymen;) and behold, I am alive for ever- 
" more, Amen,' 5 Apoc. i. 8, 17, 18. 

Seeing then that Divinity and Humanity were actually uni- 
ted in the person of Jesus, let us not be surprised, that he acts 
the God, even while on earth, disguised under the form and as- 
pect of a mere man. We have already, in some of our former ar- 
ticles, seen and admitted the evidence, that he is the Saviour and 
Redeemer of the world : we have also satisfied ourselves, but 
shall still further demonstrate in the succeeding pages, that the 
character of Saviour and Redeemer is inseparable from the name, 
the person, the divine essence of the great Jehovah ; besides 
whom, as Prophets, Evangelists, and Apostles all testify, there is 
no Saviour, no Redeemer, to participate with him in the sacred 
glory. But where is the proof of the creating power of Jesus, 
in addition to that of his healing, saving, redeeming, and pre- 
serving his people ? It lies before us : with Jive loaves and two 
fishes, the substance of which may well be deemed insufficient to 
feed and fill twenty or thirty common individuals, an immense 
multitude, consisting of about five thousand men, besides an un- 
known number of women and children, are most abundantly sup- 
plied, and filled even to satiety : for after all had eaten to the nt- 
most extent of their wishes, there were taken up of the fragments 
that remained no less than twelve baskets full ; a surplus quan- 
tity of provision exceeding the original stock! Whence came 
this superabundance of nourishing matter ? Whence but from 
the creating hand of Jesus, who now exhibits himself in his origi- 
nal character of Creator, Founder, and Builder of nature ? For 
to supply with food and nourishment, or to give an increase of 
matter by the instantaneous conversion of spiritual into natural 
substance, is in fact to create. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 71 



And this leads us to see what is properly meant by creation, 
namely, that it is (not, as some have imagined, the production of 
something out of nothing ; for, as the ancients well observed, out 
of nothing, nothing can arise ; but it is) the descent of prior sub- 
stances into their lowest degree, where life terminates, and inert 
matter commences ; thus it is their production in ultimate forms 
from Him, who is the primary source and origin of all substance 
and all life, whether in the spiritual or in the natural world. In- 
deed the 'perpetuation of existence is nothing less than it's re- 
newal every moment; and this constant renewal of existence, 
equally with the first act of creation, requires and implies a di- 
vine power, which must ever be regarded as in a state of uniform 
and incessant activity. 

But why should we dwell on a single instance of the sovereign 
power of Jesus in the creation of natural food for the support of 
a few thousand individuals, when we are surrounded with innu- 
merable wonders of a similar kind ? " Ml things were made by 
" him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 
" He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and yet 
" the world knew him not," John i. 3, 10. Nor to the present 
day has this ignorance of their Creator given place to the true 
knowledge of him, although the Scriptures abundantly testify to 
his name, his character, and his divine person. We see, there- 
fore, that the same Provident Hand, which supplies a worm or 
a man, supplies also a world, a system of worlds, a universe ; 
and that by his divine creating power all needful sustenance is 
first produced from himself, and then dispensed among the off- 
spring of his love and care, according to an endless variety of re- 
ception. 

But, before we dismiss this article, let us advert to a transac- 
tion recorded in the Old Testament. When the prophet Elisha, 
on occasion of a dearth in the land, would feed the sons of the 
prophets, amounting in number to an hundred men, a similar mi- 
racle was performed by him, or rather by Jehovah through his 
instrumentality, but on a smaller scale than that related in the 
Gospel. The case is thus laid down by the pen of inspiration. 
" There came a man from Baal-ghalisha, and brought the man of 



72 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



" God bread of the first-fruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full 
" ears of corn in the husk thereof : and he said, Give unto the 
" people, that they may eat. And his servitor said, What, should 
" I set this before an hundred men ? He said again, Give the 
" people, that they may eat : for thus saith Jehovah, They shall 
" eat, and shall leave thereof. So he set it before them, and they 
" did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of Jehovah," 
2 Kings iv. 42 to 44. 

Here likewise, taking the passage in it's literal sense, and 
drawing the conclusion which obviously results from the remon- 
strance of the prophet's servitor, a miraculous increase of matter, 
or an instantaneous conversion of spiritual into natural substance, 
is effected by the will and the word of Jehovah the Creator, 
Twenty loaves of barley, (which from the circumstances of the 
case we may presume to have been but small, as they were 
brought by one man,) and some full ears of corn in the husk, are 
together represented as very inadequate to supply the wants of 
an hundred men : but while they eat, lo ! the divine omnipotence 
is at work in creating not merely a sufficiency of food for the 
number assembled, but even a superabundance ; so that they did 
eat, and left thereof, according to the word of Jehovah. 

If we compare this miracle of the Old Testament, wrought by 
the word of Jehovah in the mouth of his prophet Elisha, with 
the miracle of the New Testament, wrought by Jesus in his own 
person, we cannot help being struck, first, with the resemblance, 
which the one bears to the other, as if intended by divine wis- 
dom for a kind of repetition of the same thing by the same pow- 
erful hand ; and, secondly, with the apparent superiority or pre- 
eminence, which the latter miracle bears over the former, as if it 
were the design of our merciful and benevolent God thereby to 
teach us, that Divinity, when united with Humanity in his own 
person, actually gains an accession of power, at least in regard 
to it's effects on man, agreeably to the prediction of Isaiah con- 
cerning the advent of Jehovah into the world in the form of a 
Man, " Behold, the Lord Jehovah shall come with strong 
" hand, and his arm shall rule for him," Isa. xl. 10. " The 
" government shall be upon his shoulder ; and of the increase of 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



73 



" his government and peace there shall be no end," Isa. ix. 6, 7. 
This may be further confirmed by the following passages : " The 
" kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, 
" and of his Christ," Apoc. xi. 15. 66 We give thee thanks, 
" 0 Lord God Almighty, who art, and wast, and art to come $ 
" because thou hast taken to thee thy great power," ver. 17. 
66 Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our 
" God, and the power of his Christ," Apoc. xii. 10. 

The miracle wrought by Jehovah, we see, supplies an hundre d 
men with a sufficiency, and even a surplus of food, from twenty 
loaves of barley, and some full ears of corn in the husk : but the 
miracle wrought by Jesus supplies Jure thousand men, besides wo- 
men and children, with an equal, perhaps a greater superabun- 
dance of food, from only five loaves and two fishes ! What is the 
inference to be deduced from these extraordinary facts ? Nothing 
less than that Jesus is liimself Jehovah, but Jehovah incarnate, 
or God actually appearing in the human form ; and that the di- 
vine omnipotence, when exerted prior to the incarnation, through 
the medium of a mere man, a mere prophet, or a mere angel, 
might possibly have lost in part it's efficiency by the imperfec- 
tion or corruption of the channel of it's communication, and at 
the same time by the remoteness of it's influx ; while, on the con- 
trary, the same divine power, exerted after the incarnation, and 
thus immediately, or in and by the divine form or person called 
Jesus the Christ, is in it's fullest and highest perfection, and at 
the same time intimately present with man to teach, to feed, to 
bless, and to save him with an eternally increasing salvation. 

And here we cannot refrain from turning to our Lord's own 
doctrine concerning his Humanity, or what is the same thing, the 
Humanity of Jehovah, which is also called the Son, to distinguish 
it in idea, but not in act, from his Divinity, which is also called the 
Father. It appears, that the great difficulty with man, in direct- 
ing his faith and his worship to the only proper Object, is such, 
as to require the whole exertion of omniscience and omnipotence 
united to counteract the evil tendencies of his nature, and to 
place him in the direct way of salvation. Revelation, therefore, 
especially the Christian revelation, which is the wisdom and the 

K 



m 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



will of Deity, is particularly urgent in this respect, and ceases 
not, in every possible way, consistently with the freedom of the 
human mind, to warn, direct, encourage, and assist us, in this 
most essential duty of our life. It is to the Son, or to the Hu- 
manity possessing Divinity, to whom we are constantly directed, 
and not to the Father, or to the Divinity abstracted from Huma- 
nity ; because a faith in, and the worship of, this latter, are in no 
respect different from the faith and worship of Deistical, Jewish. 
Mahometan, or Pagan superstition : whereas faith in the Son of 
God, or in the Humanity of Jehovah, and at the same time the 
love and worship of that Divine Human Form, constitute the 
very essence of Christianity, and distinguish the believer of re- 
velation from the idolater and infidel of nature. 

Not to multiply quotations, we will select only a few from the 
Gospel of John, wherein the faith here described is most divinely 
recommended. " He, whom God hath sent, speaketh the words 
" of God : for God giveth not the spirit by measure (or in a, finite 
n degree ) unto him," John iii. 34. The Father loveth the Son, 
66 and hath given all things into his hand," ver. 35. " The Fa- 
6i ther judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the 
" Son ; that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour 
" the Father. He that honoureth not the Son, honoureth not the 
" Father, who hath sent him," John v. 22, 23. " As the Father 
" hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in 
44 himself," ver. 26. " Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of 
" life : he that cometh to me, shall never hunger ; and he that 
" believeth on me, shall never thirst," John vi. 35. 44 This is the 
44 will of him that sent me, that every one who seeth the Son, and 
" believeth on him, may have everlasting life," ver. 40. 

If in the preceding passages selected from the Gospel of John 
any preference should appear to be given to the Son, or to the 
Humanity, above the Father, or the naked Divinity, with respect 
to the power of salvation, it is to be understood as arising from 
the relation in which the creature necessarily stands to the Crea- 
tor ; the disparity between what is finite and what is infinite 
being such, that in order to render the perfections and attributes 
of Deity in any way perceptible to man, there must be a bring- 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, & c . 



75 



m<? down or accommodation of the former to the state of the lat- 
ter. This is effected by the assumption of Humanity by the Di- 
vinity, yet in sucli a way, that while the divine perfections are 
as it were attempered or reduced to the state of Humanity, so as 
to be communicated only in the degree and proportion of recep- 
tion, still the ivhole ocean of divinity, such as may be conceived 
to be peculiar to the Father, or purely divine essence, is both in- 
timately and ultimately united with, and personally embodied in, 
the Divine Humanity called the Son, or in other words, the Di- 
vine Man Jesus Christ. Hence it may be truly said, and the 
truth contemplated with astonishment both by angels and men, 
that, though in respect to the great Jehovah himself, with whom 
potency and actuality, possibility and effect, are one and the same, 
no real change of nature has taken place, yet with respect to the 
creature, with whom they are widely different, the incarnation or 
assumption of Humanity, together with the glorification or divi- 
nization of the same, have added a lustre to the countenance of 
him who is the sun of righteousness, which did not before exist, 
and created an omnipotence, which could not be exerted before, 
or which, if exerted, could neither save nor benefit the human 
race : whereas now, since the incarnation and glorification, all 
power to redeem and to be redeemed, and to save and to be sav- 
ed, is respectively exercised and received by the Creator and the 
creature, — the Redeemer and the redeemed, — the Saviour and 
Protector of his people, and the subjects of his everlasting love 
and mercy, 



[29.] Matt. xiv. 22, 25 to S3. " And Jesus constrained his 
66 disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other 
" side, while he sent the multitudes away. And in the fourth 
" watch of the night, Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. 
« And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were 
" troubled, saying, It is a spirit ; and they cried out for fear. But 
" straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer, 
• « it is I, be not afraid. And Peter answered him, and said, Lord, 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



" if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, 
66 Come. And when Peter was come down out of the. ship, he 
" walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the 
"wind boisterous, he was afraid: and beginning to sink, he cri- 
" ed, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched 
"forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, 0 thou of 
6< little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt ? And when they were 
" come into the ship, the wind ceased. Then they that were in 
" the ship, came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou 
6i art the Son of God." See also Mark vi. 45 to 51. John vi. 16 
to 21. 



We have already seen, in a former article, that the winds and 
the waves were obedient to the word of Jesus ; that the storm 
and the tempest were in a moment hushed into silence, when he 
gave forth his voice. We now learn, that one of the fundamen* 
tal laws of nature was repealed, or at least suspended, at and 
during his pleasure. Jesus went to his disciples, walking on the 
sea. And not only was this most extraordinary phenomenon ex- 
hibited in his own person ; but Peter also, at the word of the 
Lord, and by faith in his divine omnipotence, was enabled to 
astonish the beholders by walking in like manner on the surface 
of the liquid element. But, to convince us, that such a distin- 
guishing prerogative, as that of walking upon the water, belonged 
not to a mere man, but was derived solely from him, in whom are 
united both the divine and the human essence, Peter yields to a 
sense of danger, his faith wavers, and he begins to sink. In that 
moment, conscious of his own inability to deliver himself from 
impending destruction, and trusting for help in him whom he 
believed mighty to save, he earnestly exclaims, « Lord, help ; 
64 Lord, save ; Lord, deliver me." And immediately Jesus stretch- 
ing forth his hand, caught him, and placed him within the sphere 
of his merciful protection. 

On this occasion what were the feelings of those, who were in 
the ship, witnesses to the uncommon scene ? Were they led to 
divide their veneration between Jesus and Peter, or to ascribe 
to the latter any thing beyond the power of a mortal man ? No 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



trulv : but all their attention, all their astonishment, selected for 
it's Object the first of these names: Him, whom they perceived 
to be at once the Controller of nature, the Preserver of man, and 
the God of the universe. They therefore approached him in aw- 
ful solemnity, fell down at his feet in profound humiliation, and 
offered him the incense and the worship of the heart, saying, < ; Of a 
6 i truth thou art the Son of God, the manifestation of Deity itself, 
" the divine form of the divine essence, brought down to the per- 
" ception of finite man, and blessing him with the gift of effectual 
4; salvation." 

Such is the doctrine concerning the person and character of the 
Lord, as arising from a view of the literal or historical sense of 
this part of the Word. But if we raise our understandings to the 
contemplation of a higher or more interior sense, we shall dis- 
cern still more abundant, more satisfactory evidence in favour of 
his supreme and exclusive divinity : for we shall then perceive, 
that his power extends beyond the limits of nature, and reaches 
to the extremities even of heaven itself. Under this view of the 
,-ubject, it will be found, that by the sea, as distinguished from the 
land, is meant the ultimate boundary or termination of heaven 
and the church ; in other words, that external state of life, which 
is comparatively impacific, because subject to fluctuation and 
perturbation, and beyond which perhaps the greater part of the 
human race, who are saved, do not permit themselves to be eleva- 
ted by the Lord. This explanation of the term sea may be con- 
firmed by many passages of the Word, particularly Apoc. v. 13 ; 
chap. viii. 8, 9 : chap. x. 2 to 6. 

By Jesus* walking upon the sea is therefore signified his pre- 
sence in that external state, and an influx of life from him into 
those who are the subjects of it. By Peter's walking upon the 
water, and beginning to sink through fear, is denoted the ob- 
scure, imperfect, and wavering faith of those who remain in the 
externals of the Word, of heaven, and of the church. And by Je- 
sus' stretching forth his hand to Peter, and preserving him, is 
meant the final salvation of all such as believe in him ; which is 
alone to be ascribed to the Omnipotence, and consequently to the 
Divinity, of the Lord's Humanity. 



78 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



Thus, whether we draw from the letter, or from the spirit of 
the Gospel, the result is still the same : and to a mind unpreju- 
diced by former opinions, uninfluenced by the authority of names 
or numbers, and open to the reception of truth purely for the 
sake of truth, the great doctrine, here inculcated, of the sole divi- 
nity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, must present it- 
self as the genuine, unadulterated testimony of the Sacred Scrip- 
tures. 



[30.] Matt. xv. 21 to 28. " Jesus departed into the coasts of 
u Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came out of 
u the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, 
u 0 Lord, thou Son of David ; my daughter is grievously vexed 
u with a devil. But he answered her not a word. Then came 
« she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. And Jesus an- 
" swered and said unto her, 0 woman, great is thy faith: he it 
" unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole 
ii f r om that very hour." See also Mark vii. 24 to 30. 

Another instance is here given of faith, prayer, and worship, 
all directed to Jesus alone, without the most distant reference to 
any other superior being either in heaven or on earth. His power 
to cast out a devil is acknowledged, his mercy is implored, and 
his divine person is worshipped. Can the God of the universe re- 
quire more from his dependent creatures, than conduct like this ? 
Can rational man make a more acceptable offering to his adorable 
Creator ? But see ! the faith, the prayer, the worship, are receiv- 
ed, approved, and honoured, by the God-Man Jesus ! As Lord 
of the church, he will be acknowledged and adored ; as Victor 
over all the powers of darkness, he will be supplicated for help 
and deliverance ; and as Creator, Redeemer, and Regenerator, 
he will bless his people with his love, his mercy, and his everlast- 
ing salvation. 

It is in vain, therefore, that we look for any other Deliverer, 
when our safety is to be found in Jesus alone ; in vain to direct 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 79 



our faith, our prayers, or our worship, to any other Object, than 
to the Incarnate God ; since all we want, and all we can re- 
ceive, must be derived from that single Fountain, whose streams 
of life are ever flowing, and enriching the mind with inexhausti- 
ble felicity. 

[31.] Matt. xv. 30, 31. " And great multitudes came unto 
6 him, having with them those that were lame, blind* dumb, 
« maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus's feet, 
44 and he healed them : Insomuch that the multitude wondered 
6< - when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the 
;i lame to walk, and the blind to see : and they glorified the God 
" of Israel." 

To bring under review all the miracles, which Jesus performed 
in the days of his flesh, is not the design of this work ; but only 
to collect from them such testimonies of his power and godhead, 
as we conceive cannot easily be gainsaid or controverted. It was 
the common business of his life to heal the sick, the lame, the 
blind, the deaf, the dumb, the maimed, the lepers, and those who 
were afflicted with any kind of infirmity, whether natural or su- 
pernatural. And nothing can yield more satisfactory evidence of 
his innate powers, than the various cures narrated by the Evan- 
gelists, which he took in hand to perform. On many such occa- 
sions, the surrounding multitude, as well as the patients them- 
selves, expressed their astonishment at the effects produced, and 
their gratitude to the benevolent Physician. And although at 
times " he charged them, that they should tell no man" of the 
great cures, which he performed ; yet, " the more he charged 
" them, so much the more a great deal they published him ; and 
" were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all 
" things well : he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to 
" speak," Mark vii. 36, 37. In this manner they glorified Jesus, 
by ascribing to him a power and a name, which are exclusively 
due to the omnipotent God. And thus the glorification of Je- 



so 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



sus becomes at the same time the glorification of the God of 
Israel 

But why did Jesus so strictly charge his disciples, that they 
should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ r Why did he 
so repeatedly charge the blind, the deaf, the dumb, and others, 
whom he healed, as well as the people in general, who were wit- 
nesses of his miracles, to conceal them, and not to blaze them 
abroad, as they were naturally inclined to do ? And why again 
did he give such particular charge to the devils and unclean spi- 
rits, whom he cast out of the bodies of men, and who, it is plain, 
were fully apprized of his high character, though men were not, 
to hold their peace, and not to take his name within their profane 
lips P To these and such like questions the most satisfactory 
answers may be given, when the true nature of the Lord's ad- 
vent into the world is thoroughly understood, and when the effect 
produced by the divine presence on unprepared minds is properly 
attended to. 

Had Jesus been a mere man. a mere messenger and servant of 
Jehovah, like others who had preceded him. surely no danger 
could have arisen from his being openly proclaimed as the Mes- 
siah : neither could the knowledge of him, and of his miraculous- 
works, have been attended with any results, that previously re- 
quired more care and caution in the publication, than did the 
knowledge of any other prophet and good man. But being God 
himself 'in the flesh, a too sudden or instantaneous knowledge of 
him as such, without due preparation of mind by gradual instruc- 
tion, and by tokens of repentance, would doubtless have proved 
fatal to many in those days. For Jehovah, or the divine es- 
sence, cannot approximate too near to man. while he is in states 
of evil and infidelity, as the Jewish nation then was, without the 
risk of an immediate consumption or extinction of his life : on 
which account it is written, that " no man can see Jehovah, 
" and livef* Exod. xsxiii. 20. For the same reason the children 
of Israel were prohibited from coming too near the border of 
mount Sinai, when Jehovah descended upon it, or even from 
attempting; out of mere curiosity to gaze upon the fire and smoke, 
which then covered the whole mountain : for had they done so. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 81 



many of them must have perished ; see Exod. xix. 12 to 24. 
1 Sam. v. & vi. 

A similar danger impended over the heads of all, who heard 
ot the name, the character, and the works of Jesus, and yet be- 
lieved not in his divinity, or that he was the omnipotent God 
himself in human form. And this is the true reason why John 
the Baptist was sent to prepare his way, as an Elijah « turning 
° 4 the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the 
"children to their fathers," by means of baptism and repentance; 
for had not the way of Jesus, or of Jehovah in the flesh, been 
thus prepared, it is probable, that, as the prophet observes, " the 
65 earth itself (or church) would have been smitten with a curse," 
Mai. iv. 6. 

Again, it is not to be doubted, that the knowledge of such a 
person as Jesus being in the world, who claimed and justified the 
title of Christ or Messiah, if unaccompanied with faith in him, 
at least as the Son of God, or Son of Man, according to the an- 
cient and true signification of this last title, and with a desire to be- 
come his disciples, might have occasioned many in those days to 
incur the charge and the guilt of profanation, the consequences of 
which would have extended beyond the grave. It was therefore 
better, that to all such he should remain entirely unknown. 
Moreover the too precipitate or incautious publication of Jesus 
might have been disorderly in another point of view, inasmuch 
as it might have hastened his hour of being delivered up and cru- 
cified before the proper time, that is, before the process of his 
glorification had come to it's pre-determined degree. 

These considerations satisfactorily explain why Jesus, who 
could have made himself as public as he pleased, passed the 
greater part of his life in so recluse and private a condition, that 
he was scarcely heard of in the days of his flesh, until the time 
arrived, when, agreeably to his own divine wisdom and order, he 
was willing to manifest himself to those comparatively few among 
the Jewish nation, who saw him in person, and listened with as- 
tonishment to his voice. For, although the New Testament fre- 
quently speaks of him as exciting the attention of all Jerusalem, 
and of all the people, (and this probably for the sake of the inter- 
im 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



nal sense, which required such comprehensive expressions,) yet 
other collateral histories scarcely make any mention of his name. 
Even Josephus, the Jewish historian, who lived about fifty years 
after the crucifixion of Jesus, and from whom we might have 
expected an ample and circumstantial account of his life and 
miracles, barely notices him in one solitary passage, which has 
not escaped the suspicion of having been added to his work by 
some Christian transcriber. But whoever it might have been, to 
whose pen we are indebted for the cursory but honourable men- 
tion of the name of Jesus contained in that History, it is cer- 
tain, and at the same time a most singular circumstance, that the 
whole of our information concerning the birth, the life, and the 
death of Jesus is derived from himself, that is, from his Word 
of the Old and New Testament. And herein, as well as in other 
points of view, we perceive the divine truth of what he so em- 
phatically, if not prophetically, declared, when he said, i6 1 re- 
" ceive not testimony from man" John v. 34. His testimony, his 
history, his life, are therefore all his own : and if John the Bap- 
tist was unworthy of the high honour of unloosing even the latchet 
of his shoe, equally unworthy is every other man of writing the 
history of his life, or in any shape whatever of giving testimony to 
Ms divine person. 

It is further observable, on comparing certain passages of the 
Old Testament with Mark vii. 36, before quoted, with Matt. xvi. 
£0 ; chap. xvii. 9, and many others of a like nature in the differ- 
ent Gospels, that, as Jesus was desirous of concealing himself 
and his real character from the too general notice of the Jewish 
people, and others his adversaries, for the reasons already as- 
signed ; so in like manner is it declared of the great Jehovah, 
that he also is desirous of concealing, covering, and thereby de- 
fending from profanation, himself, his Word, and his divine pro- 
vidence in the government of the world. " Verily thou art a 
" God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel the Saviour," Isa. xlv. 
15. To Moses, who desired to see his glory, Jehovah answered, 
" It shall come to pass, when my glory passeth by, that I will 
" put thee in a clift of the rock ; and I will cover thee with my 
" hand while I pass by. And I will take away my hand, and 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



83 



61 thou shalt see my back-parts ; but my face shall not be seen" 
Exod. xxxiii. 22, 23. " Jehovah will create upon every dwell- 
" ing-place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud : for 
" upon all the glory shalfoe a defence, ( or covering" J Isa. iv. 5. 
And thus again the identity of Jesus and Jehovah results as 
well from their unity of character and wisdom of conduct, as 
from the names and titles of Deity, by which they are both equal- 
ly distinguished in the Sacred Pages. 

It is recorded by the Evangelist Matthew, in the passage se- 
lected for observation, that the multitude, on seeing the miracles 
performed by Jesus, glorified the God of Israel. But what are 
we to understand by such glorification ? The conviction and ac- 
knowledgment, that a divine power was alone equal to those ex- 
traordinary facts, which they then beheld. And as they saw the, 
Agent, by whom they were wrought, and perceived that he act^ 
ed of his own personal authority, they were naturally led to as- 
cribe to him all the merit, the glory, and the honour, resulting 
from the success of his word. And in so doing, they actually 
glorified the God of Israel : for he, who was born the Saviour of 
his people, Matt. i. 21. Luke ii. 11, was also the God of his peo- 
ple ; on which account Zacharias, when filled with the Holy Spi- 
rit, exclaimed, " Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he hath 
" visited and redeemed his people" Luke i. 68. And to the same 
effect prophesied Isaiah, in the passage before quoted, " Verily 
" thou art a God thathidest thyself, 0 God of Israel the Saviour" 
Isa. xlv. 15. To glorify the God of Israel is, therefore, the same 
thing as to glorify the Saviour and Redeemer ; and to glorify the 
Saviour and Redeemer, is to glorify Jesus : for he alone is 
the Redeemer, the Saviour, the God of Israel, and the God of 
heaven. 



[32.] Matt. xvi. 18, 19. "I say also unto thee, that thou art 
" Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church : and the 
" gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And / will give unto 
ii thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven : and whatsoever thou 



84 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



" shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever 
"thou shalt loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven." 



Arrogance and presumption in the extreme must it have been 
for any mere mortal man to have used such language as this. How 
could such an one have sufficient confidence in himself to assert, 
1. That he was the founder and builder of a church, which would 
acknowledge him alone as it's author and owner. ? 2. That the 
gates of hell, that is, all the invisible powers of darkness in com- 
bination together, should never prevail against such a church, 
while it continued in the belief and worship of him as the Son of 
the living God, or in other words, as the very form of the divine 
essence. ? 3. That he himself was actually vested with the power 
and authority of giving to another* the right of opening and 
shutting; the kingdom of heaven to or against whomsoever he 
pleased. ? And yet all this is most evidently implied in the an- 
swer of Jesus to Peter : " Upon this rock I will build my church ; 
"and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will 
i: give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven " &c. 

The authority, which is here assumed by Jesus, inasmuch a 2 
it extends both to heaven and hell, necessarily involves his ab- 
solute dominion over all created intelligences ; a dominion, which 
neither man nor angel is competent to exercise for a single mo- 
ment, but He only, upon whose shoulders rests, and ever will 
rest, the government of the universe, and who, though born as a 
Child, given and acknowledged as a Son, is yet in truth u the 
« mighty God, the everlasting Father, and the Prince of peace," 
Isa. ix. 6. Weil therefore may the Psalmist exclaim, in admira- 
tion of such an omnipresent and omnipotent Being, « Whither 

* This is only expressed according 1 to the literal sense of the words : for, 
spiritually considered, such power was not given to Peter as a man, but to the 
faith which he professed, or the acknowledgment which he then made, that 
Jesus was the "Christ, the Son of the living- God " in other words, that he 
was the divine form of the divine essence, i. e. God incarnate, and thus risible 
and accessible to his creatures. To a faith of this character, by whomso- 
ever possessed, is given the power of opening- the kingdom of heaven, and of 
closing the kingdom of darkness. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



" shall I go from thy spirit ? or whither shall I flee from thy 
" presence ? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there : if I 
" make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the 
" wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the 
" sea ; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand 
" shall hold me," Ps. cxxxix. 7 to 10. 

With this also agrees the doctrine of Jesus concerning him- 
self : 66 Ml power is given unto me in heaven and in earth," Matt, 
xxviii. 18. And again, " Ml things that the Father hath, are mine," 
John xvi. 15. Beyond this no conception can penetrate, no un- 
derstanding venture an attempt. Convinced, therefore, that Je- 
sus is God, and God alone, with our countenances, our eyes, and 
our hearts pointing to him, we take up the language of David and 
of Daniel, and say, " Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, 
" and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations," Ps. 
cxlv. 13. Dan. vii. 14. 

We might here enter into a full and particular explanation of 
our Lord's words to Peter, and shew what is meant by giving 
him the keys of the kingdom of heaven, what by binding and 
loosing on earth and in heaven, and why the effect in heaven is 
represented as dependent on the effect on earth. But as the 
principal design of this volume is to draw, from the various pas- 
sages selected for comment, the doctrine of the sole divinity of 
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, which we have already 
done in the present instance, it would in some degree be deviat- 
ing from our plan, were we to bring forward illustrations not di- 
rectly applicable to that point. Nevertheless, as a brief and 
very general explanation of the remarkable passage, which we 
have already brought into view, may have it's use, we shall give 
it without further apology. 

By Peter, to whom were given the keys of the kingdom of 
heaven, and especially by the confession just before made by him, 
That Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God, is un- 
derstood a true and genuine faith in the divinity of Jesus. 

By Jesus saying to him, Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I 
will build my church, is signified, that Peter as a person was the 
representative or organ of the confession of faith, which he then 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



made ; and that such faith, or such acknowledgment of the divi- 
nity of Jesus, is the very basis, foundation, and commencement 
of the true Christian church in the heart of man. 

By the gates of hell being unable to prevail against it, is signi- 
fied, that no hostile power originating in evils and falses should 
ever gain the dominion over those, in whose minds the church so 
founded in genuine faith, united with genuine charity, is estab- 
lished and confirmed by purity of life. 

By giving to Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven, is signi- 
fied, that the faith above described, which is a faith not separated 
from charity, but ever united with, and derived from it, is the 
only medium of conjunction with the Lord, and thus of introduc- 
tion into that eternal state of happiness and blessedness, which 
is so emphatically called the kingdom of heaven. It must be 
plain to every understanding, that keys denote the power of open- 
ing and shutting : hence a true faith in the divinity of the Lord 
may be said to hold the keys of the kingdom of heaven, because it 
not only admits into heaven all who are prepared for admission, 
but it also closes heaven against the unbelieving and the ungodly ; 
or, to speak more correctly, it becomes, by the mere opposition 
of the latter, the occasion of their self -exclusion. 

By binding or loosing in heaven whatsoever is bound or 
loosed on earth, is signified, that according to the actual life of 
the man, who possesses or professes faith, while in the body, that 
is, according to the degree in which the evils and corruptions of 
the human heart shall be either restrained or indulged, and the 
opposite heavenly affections from the Lord either admitted or re- 
jected, by man, during his abode in the natural world, in the same 
degree, and in no other, will his future and final state hereafter 
be determined, whether it be in agreement or in disagreement 
with the heavenly and divine life. 

Such, in a general point of view, maybe considered the nature, 
tendency, and import of that remarkable passage in the conver- 
sation, which our Saviour held with Peter and the rest of his dis- 
ciples. The interpretation put upon the same words by the Ro- 
mish church, and the power, which has in consequence been 
usurped over the souls and bodies of men, under the pretence of 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 87 



an authority derived from the mere literal sense, are too well 
known, and at this day too contemptible, to merit our serious at- 
tention. Let the Protestant, Reformed, or Evangelical man, 
which ever is the name he assumes, be careful that he does not 
tread too closely on the heels of his Catholic brother. How many 
passages in the Word are there, that will no more admit of a plain 
literal construction, than the one we have just now been consi- 
dering ! How many, from which equally fallacious, equally ab- 
surd doctrines are drawn by the Reformed, the Enlightened, the 

( soi-disant ) Rational Christian .' But here we stop : other 

most importarft subjects demand, and must receive our atten- 
tion. 



[S3.] Matt. xvii. 1, 2. « And after six days, Jesus taketh 
" Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into 
" an high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them; 
" and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as 
« the light." See also Mark ix. 2 to 8. Luke ix. 28 to 36. Apoc* 
i. 13 to 18. 



Of all the subjects in Christian theology, the doctrine concern- 
ing the person of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is confes- 
sedly the first. Yet notwithstanding it's great importance, and 
the many volumes which have been written upon it in every age 
of the church, it does not appear to have been properly under- 
stood by any writer or commentator, until the commencement of 
the New Jerusalem dispensation, which is also the era of the 
Lord's second advent. This impenetrable obscurity, in which 
the subject has hitherto been involved, was doubtless occasioned 
by not rightly distinguishing between the infirm humanity, which 
was assumed by the Lord from the mother, and the Divine Hu- 
manity, which proceeded forth from the Father. For, however 
new or singular the sentiment may appear, on the first mention 
of it, yet a fair and candid investigation will lead to a full con- 
viction of this great truth, namely, that the Lord was possessed 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



of two distinct humanities, or if you please, of two distinct prin- 
ciples of humanity ; in the one of which he appeared as another 
man, yea was as another man, but in the other he was more than 
a man, being no less than God himself in a human form. On a 
true knowledge of this distinction depends the right understand- 
ing of all those passages of Scripture, which, by their seeming 
contrariety to each other, have long puzzled the church, and 
given countenance to a variety of contending parties within it. 

Because in some passages we meet with an account of the suf- 
ferings, hunger, thirst, and death of Jesus, which are infirmities 
only incident to, and capable of being experienced by, mere hu- 
manity ; therefore some have concluded, as the Socinian Unita- 
rians, that he could be no other than a mere man like themselves, 
the natural offspring of Joseph and Mary. And although the 
Scriptures seem studious to prevent such an idea entering into 
the mind of man, by expressly declaring, that Joseph was only 
his supposed, not his real father, yet, rather than renounce the 
sentiments they have embraced, the advocates for the mere hu- 
manity of Jesus have recourse to this arbitrary and groundless 
supposition, that the account given in the Gospel, of his concep- 
tion and birth, is an interpolation that has crept into the sacred 
text either by carelessness or design. 

Others again, observing that in various parts of the Word cer- 
tain attributes, properties, and qualities, are ascribed to Jesus, 
which do not at all comport with the infirmities and imperfections 
of mere humanity, but are rather characteristic of super-angelic, 
if not of divine perfection, conclude, that he must be more than 
a man, or even an angel, and therefore consider him as the high- 
est created being, and the chief agent, under God himself, by 
whom creation, redemption, and salvation were effected. Such 
is the opinion entertained by Jlrians, who, inasmuch as they deny 
the Lord to be possessed of personal and proper divinity, differ 
but little in this respect from their brethren the Socinians : but 
in regard to his humanity, they are both perfectly agreed, that it 
was like that of another man, neither of them having any know- 
ledge whatever of his Divine Humanity derived from the Fa- 



UNITARIANS, TUINITARIANS, &c. 89 



ther, or, what amounts to the same thing, derived from his own 
divine essence. 

There is, however, another class of men, called Trinitarians, of 
whom indeed the general bulk of Christian professors Consists, 
who ascribe something of divinity to the Lord, and rank him 
sometimes as equal with God, sometimes as inferior, but at all 
times as a Mediator between God and man. These also have no 
other idea of the Lord's Humanity, than as of the humanity of 
another man : for, having no conception of two distinct humani- 
ties, or principles of humanity, the one substantial and divine, the 
other material and infirm, they still suppose him to be the Son of 
Mary, and likewise of David, because he is so called in the 
Word, in reference to his infirm humanity ; when yet the Lord 
plainly enough denied that he was the Son of either, with respect 
to his Glorified or Divine Humanity. 

That the Lord would not acknowledge either his mother or his 
brethren according to the flesh, but stich only as were related to 
him by spiritual affinity, appears from the following passage in 
the Gospel of Matthew : " While he yet talked to the people, be* 
" hold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to 
" speak with him. Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother 
" and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. 
66 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my 
" mother ? and who are my brethren ? And he stretched forth 
ii his hand towards his disciples, and said, Behold my mother, and 
" my brethren. For whosoever shall do the will of my Father 
" who is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mo- 
« ther,' 9 Matt. xii. 46 to 50. 

And that he would not allow himself, in his character of 
Christ, or in respect to his Divine Humanity, to be considered 
as the Son of David, but on the contrary as David's Lord, is 
plain from the question, which he put to the Pharisees. For 
" while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 
" saying, What think ye of Christ ? whose Son is he ? They 
" say unto him, The Son of David. He saith unto them, How 
" then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord 
" said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make 

M 



90 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



" thine enemies thy footstool ? If David then call him Lord, 
" how is he his Son ?'■' Matt. xxii. 41 to 45. It is added, that 
" no man was able to answer him a word." And truly all the 
reasonings and disputations on the subject, which have taken 
place from that day to the present, among the different classes of 
professing Christians, as above described, have still left the ori- 
ginal question undecided ; and, for any light that has appeared 
among them, the Pharisees of all ages might as well have remain- 
ed dumb, in imitation of their predecessors, as to have teazed and 
tormented the world by their noisy, but empty and useless spe- 
culations. 

Having made these observations relative to the sentiments ge- 
nerally embraced concerning the person of the Lord, from which 
it appears, that no true knowledge of the subject has been pos- 
sessed by the church, we will now proceed to demonstrate, that, 
besides the infirm humanity, which the Lord received from the 
mother, and in which he was known to, and conversant with, the 
Jewish people, he had also a Divine Humanity, derived from Je- 
hovah the Father, in the same manner as a, form is derived from 
it's essence ; and that in this Divine Human Form he is to be 
worshipped and adored as the One Only God of heaven and 
earth. 

When the Lord came into the world, he assumed by birth a hu- 
manity or body from the mother Mary, which was in all respects 
like the humanity or body of another man, being subject to like 
infirmities, necessities and wants, as others were. But inasmuch 
as he was conceived from Jehovah the Father, without the me- 
diation of a man, it follows, that his interior essence or soul was 
divine : and as Divinity is in it's own nature indivisible, his soul 
must therefore have been the Divinity itself, or in other words, 
Jehovah the Father himself. And in this respect he essentially 
differed from all other men, who inherit from their parents only a 
human essence, as well interiorly from their father, as exteriorly 
from their mother : whereas the Lord inherited interiorly a di- 
vine essence from the Father Jehovah, and exteriorly a human 
essence from the mother Mary. But this humaia essence from the 
mother not according with the divine essence from the Father. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



91 



being in it's very nature in opposition to it, and incapable of be- 
ins transmuted into, or commixed with it, it again follows, that 
the divine essence must have been in the continual act of putting 
off or separating from itself the mere humanity from the mother, 
and of putting on, in it's stead, a Humanity like unto itself, that 
is to say, a Divine Humanity. 

Now as the Lord had from the beginning an infirm humanity 
from the mother, which he successively or by degrees put off, and 
also the rudiments of a Divine Humanity from the Father, which 
he was continually putting on, or by degrees bringing into actu- 
ality and fulness, therefore, whilst he was in the world, he was 
pleased to undergo two states, one a state of humiliation or ex- 
inanition, the other a state of glorification or unition with the 
Divinity which is called the Father. In his state of humiliation, 
which was at the time and in the decree he was in the humanity 
from the mother, he prayed to the Father as to a person distinct 
from himself: but in his state of glorification, which was at the 
time and in the degree he was in the Humanity from the Father, 
lie spake of and with the Father as one with himself. In the 
former state, or in the infirm hu inanity, he underwent tempta- 
tions, suffered hunger, thirst, bufferings, crucifixion, and death; 
and likewise prayed, that the Father or divine essence would not 
forsake him : for it was not possible that either the Divinity or 
the Divine Humanity could be tempted, much less could either of 
them suffer the death of the cross. In the latter state, or in the 
Divine Humanity, he said, that the Father was in him, and he in 
the Father ; that the Father and he were one ; that whosoever 
saw him, saw the Father also : that all tilings belonging to the 
Father were his ; and that all power was given to him both in 
heaven and in earth. In this latter state also, while he was in 
his glorified or Divine Humanity, he manifested himself to his 
disciples Peter, James, and John, when he was transfigured be- 
fore them on the mountain: on which occasion " his face did 
• ; shine as the sun. and his raiment was it-kite as the light r- a 
description this, surely not of a mere man, but of the true God 
in a human form. 



A SEAL UPON THE LlPS OF 



Viewing the Lord in this divine form, the brilliancy and glory 
of which, together with the voice that was heard from the cloud, 
overpowered the faculties of the beholders, and caused them to 
fall down on their faces as dead, in self-abasement or annihila- 
tion ; is it possible for a moment to suppose, that this could be 
the humanity which was subject to the scorn, the derision, and 
persecution of the Jews ? On the contrary, is it not plain, that, 
besides, yet within, the material body, the Lord was possessed of 
a Divine Humanity, similar to the pure Divinity itself; and that 
in this Humanity he presented himself to his disciples, when 
transfigured before them in spiritual vision, as the sole Object 
of their love and adoration ? 

But what are we to understand particularly by transfigura- 
tion ? It is the passage, or transition, from one form to another. 
That, from which the transition was made, in the case of Jesus, 
was the infirm, material, finite form, derived from the mother : 
but that, to which the transition was made, was the divinely sub- 
stantial form, derived from Jehovah the Father, and therefore 
infinite in all it's perfections. Of these two forms the prophet 
Isaiah distinctly speaks, in chap. liii. calling the divine form the 
very arm of Jehovah, to denote it's omnipotence; while he de- 
scribes the infirm body, in which he also makes his appearance, 
as subject to the common lot of humanity, and at length as 
wounded, bruised, and cut off from the land of the living. Many 
other parts of the Word make a similar distinction ; but all ul- 
timately tend to establish and confirm our faith in the Divine 
Form alone, in which are concentrated, and with which are for 
ever united, all the powers, attributes, and perfections, that 
can by any possibility be referred to the pure and naked Deity 
itself. 

It was not with the material eye, that this latter, or the Divine 
Humanity, was beheld, but with the eye of the spirit: for ma- 
terial organs can only perceive material objects 5 and hence spi- 
ritual organs are necessary to discern spiritual forms. The 
transition, on the part of the disciples, from the one kind of vi^ 
sion to the other ? or from natural into spiritual light, produced 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



93 



the effect, which is described by the transfiguration of Jesus, and 
by the appearance of Moses and Elias conversing with him ; by 
which latter circumstance is denoted the concurring testimony 
of the historical and prophetical parts of the Word, when view* 
ed in heavenly light, to the Divinity of the Lord's Humanity. 
The glory, in which he was seen, was a glory which had nothing 
in common with the glory of this world. So distinct indeed was 
it from every thing of the kind, that it could only be discerned 
by those, who were abstracted from natural light, and who, like 
men awaking oat of sleep, (Luke ix. 32.) were supernaturally 
raised into spiritual vision 5 consequently not by the Jewish 
people, who were immersed in sensuality ; not by the learned 
scribes and Pharisees, whose eyes were open only to the tradi- 
tions and vain speculations of outward science ; and not even by 
the disciples in general, whose faith was doubtful, fluctuating, 
and obscure : and yet it was a glory, which perpetually beamed 
from his divine countenance, and spread around him an unin- 
terrupted day. Such is the difference between natural and 

spiritual vision, and such the effect of the transfiguration of Je- 
sus, or in other words, the elevation of his disciples from a view 
of his infirm, material body, to the contemplation of his Glorified 
or Divine Humanity. 

Hitherto we have considered the transfiguration of Jesus in 
more immediate reference to his person. And perhaps what has 
been already advanced may be quite sufficient to satisfy the read- 
er, that our doctrine concerning the Lord's Humanity is per- 
fectly agreeable to the Sacred Scriptures. But as the passage, 
which forms the basis of these reflections, carries with it an air 
of uncommon interest, and is capable of most extensive and use- 
ful application, when explained in it's interior sense, we shall 
take the liberty of making some further remarks in illustration of 
it's divine contents. 

In general it may be observed, that whatever is predicated of 
the Lord as a Person, is also true in respect to the Word, 
which is from him, and thus in the supreme sense is himself. His 
transfiguration therefore will admit of application to the Word, 
particularly to it's spiritual or internal sense, as distinguished 



94 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



from it's natural or literal sense. The transition or ascent from 
the one to the other will also be, in it's kind, a transfiguration of 
the Word, and will mutually illustrate, and receive illustration 
from, the transfiguration of the Lord's person.- But we will take 
the passage in it's regular order. 

It is written, that " after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, 
" and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high moun- 
" tain apart, and was transfigured before them ; and his face did 
" shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light." By 
the six days here mentioned we are to understand all those pre- 
paratory states of truth in the understanding, which place man 
in the capacity of seeing and discerning the interior things of 
heaven and the church, and which lead him to the good of life. 
For by numbers, wherever mentioned in the Word, are signified 
the qualities of things ; and by the number six the quality of the 
church as to it's reception of divine truth in the understanding, 
previous to it's being fully implanted in the heart or life. Thus 
the six days denote all those states of labour and temptation, 
-which man undergoes prior to his full regeneration, and before 
he enters into that state of peace and tranquillity, represented 
by the seventh day, or sabbath of rest. The same is signified by 
the six days, in which the heavens and the earth were created, as 
being introductory to the seventh, in which Jehovah rested from 
all his labour. 

From this view of the signification of the number six, it is easy 
to discern the reason why it is said, that after six days Jesus 
taketh Peter, James, and John, up into an high mountain, and 
was transfigured before them, namely, because it implies, that 
after regeneration man is capable not only of discerning the spi- 
ritual sense of the Word, but of being interiorly affected with it, 
and also of exercising a true faith in the Lord as the only God of 
heaven and earth, which is the same thing as beholding him in 
his transfigured or Divine Humanity. 

It is observable, that the Evangelists Matthew and Mark, in re- 
cording the transfiguration of Jesus, state that this vision took 
place after six days, while Luke describes it as having taken 
place about an eight days after. This disagreement in the literal 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



Ma 



sense, if it can be called such, trifling as it is, entirely vanishes 
when we view the subject in it's spiritual sense : for, according 
to that sense, the number eight signifies the completion of a for- 
mer state, and thereby the commencement of a new one. Hence 
the ceremony of circumcision in the Jewish church, as a repre- 
sentative of man's purification from evil, and consequently of his 
new spiritual life, was appointed to be performed on the eighth 
day. Thus, notwithstanding the apparent disagreement between 
the Evangelists, they are found perfectly to coincide in the spi- 
ritual sense. 

Again : By the transfiguration of Jesus before his disciples 
Peter, James, and John, is meant the manifestation or revelation 
of the Divinity of his Humanity, and at the same time of the 
internal sense of his Word, to all those who are principled in 
faith, charity, and a good life ; for such were represented by Pe- 
ter, James, and John 5 and such only are capable of discerning 
and receiving the divine truths contained in the internal sense 
of the Word. Hence the Lord, of all his disciples and followers, 
took only those three into an high mountain apart, in order to 
manifest his glory to them. 

By the high mountain, into which they were taken, is signified 
love to the Lord, and also charity towards the neighbour ; for it 
is only when man is elevated into such kind of spiritual and ce- 
lestial affection, that he is in a capacity of seeing, understanding, 
and embracing the interior things of heaven and the church. And 
as this affection is only given to man in proportion as he is sepa- 
rated from the loves of self and of the world, it is therefore said, 
that the Lord took them up into an high mountain apart, that is, 
elevated them from the love of worldly and sensual things, to the 
love and perception of things heavenly and divine. It was by 
reason of this signification of a mountain, as denoting love, and 
in the supreme sense divine love, that the Lord so often betook 
himself to the mount of Olives, on the east of Jerusalem 5 that 
he also delivered his sermon on the heavenly beatitudes on a 
mountain; and that Jehovah gave to Moses the two tables of 
testimony upon mount Sinai : not to mention a great variety of 
other instances, in all of which by mountain is signified the di- 



96 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



vine love of the Lord, as extended to the whole of the human 
race. 

By his face shining as the sun, is also meant his divine mercy, 
clemency, and boundless love, as discoverable in the inmost sense 
of his Word : and by his raiment being white as the light, is de- 
noted the splendor of it's divine truth, when the veil of the let- 
ter is removed, and it's spiritual contents are laid open to the 
view. 

Such is the result of our inquiry into the true nature of our 
Lord's transfiguration ; a case not at all applicable to any mere 
man, or to any other being, than to that One, who has seen fit in 
his divine wisdom to veil his glory for a time, and to visit his 
creatures by assuming to himself a frail tabernacle of flesh, like 
their own, that he might the more effectually bring down to their 
ears his heavenly lessons of instruction, and gradually lead them 
to himself, by discovering to them, as they were able to bear it, 
the sanctity of his Word, and the divinity of his person. In each 
case the light of nature alone is insufficient to give us that full 
view of his glory, which is to be obtained from revelation, but 
from revelation understood : and the true key to this is the doc~ 
trine of genuine truth, flowing from the interiors of the Word, 
and thus from the Lord himself, into minds duly prepared for it's 
reception by the love and by the practice of truth. By this light 
we shall be enabled to see light, (Psal. xxxvi. 9.) and to separate 
the truth from error : we shall know how to distinguish between 
earthly appearances, and heavenly realities : between the infirm, 
material body of Jesus, and the Divine Human Form, which eter- 
nally shines as the sun of righteousness above. In short, we shall 
be qualified to behold his glory, and in spirit to enjoy the beatific 
vision in all it's dazzling splendor. And, finally, we shall expe- 
rience the full import of those divine words in Isaiah's prophecy, 
" The sun shall be no more thy light by day, neither for bright - 

ness shall the moon give light unto thee : but Jehovah shall 
" be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory " 
Isa. Ix. 19. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



97 



[34.] Matt. xvii. 14 to 18. " And when they were come to 
" the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down 
" to him*, and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is luna* 
u tic, and sore vexed : for oft-times he falleth into the fire, and 
H into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples, and they 
" could not cure him* Then Jesus answered and said, O faith - 
« less and perverse generation, how long shall I he with you ? 
" how long shall I suffer you ? bring him hither to me. And Je- 
" sus rebuked the devil, and he departed out of him : and the 
" child was cured from that very hour" See also Mark ix. 17 
to 27. Luke ix. 37 to 42. 



To whatever cause lunacy in the present day may be ascribed, 
it plainly appears, that in ancient times it was considered as the 
effect of the presence of some demon or unclean spirit, who, tak- 
ing possession of the mental faculties of the patient, and at the 
same time of his bodily organs, directed his action and speech at 
pleasure. In the case before us, it is highly probable, that the 
father of the lunatic had already made trial of every expedient, 
which the sagacity of man could suggest, to effect a cure and 
had found all the aids of medicine to be unavailable. Hearing 
then of the extraordinary character of Jesus, and having faith in 
his ability to perform whatsoever he was pleased to undertake, 
he came to him, and kneeling down before him^ prayed him to 
have mercy on his son : an attitude and a petition, which may 
well be supposed to imply, on the part of the suppliant, a full con- 
viction, that the person, whom he was then addressing, was actu- 
ally possessed of divine powers. This confidence in the omnipo-* 
tence of Jesus, united with worship and prayer directed to him, 
and graciously accepted by him, was therefore instantly reward- 
ed by his rebuking the devil, who was the cause of the malady, 
and causing him to depart out of the child, leaving him sound 
both in mind and body. 

The Evangelist Mark observes, that, when the parent of the 
child petitioned Jesus to have compassion on him, and to help 
him, he said unto him, " If thou canst believe, (viz. that I am 
" able to help and to heal,) all things are possible to him that be- 

N 



98 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



" lievetli. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and 
" said, Lord, I believe; help thou mi)ie unbelief. Whereupon 
" Jesus rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb 
" and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no 
66 more into him" chap. ix. 23 to 25. 

Such an instantaneous cure, performed by the word of Jesus 
only, and by his own authority, most evidently distinguishes him 
from every other man, and is calculated to excite in our minds 
the highest idea of his divine person and character. Unlike his 
disciples, who were found incapable of so mighty a work as 
the instant removal of confirmed lunacy, by reason of their w r ant 
of faith, not in their own ability, but in that of their Divine Mas- 
ter, in whose name they w T ent forth, he, conscious of his own in- 
nate powers, and without the exercise of any thing like faith is 
another being out of, or separate from himself, most authorita- 
tively charges the unclean spirit to depart out of the child, and 
never more to enter into him. Can such power and authority as 
this be no more than a delegated commission, as from one supe- 
rior being to another of inferior order, and yet be exercised with- 
out the express acknowledgment, on the part of the subordinate 
agent, that he acted merely in that capacity ? Nay, did not Jesus. 
when he was called upon by the chief priests and elders of the 
people to declare by what authority he taught and acted, plainly 
refuse to tell them, and thus virtually announce, that it was not 
derived from any other, but originated within himself? Surely 
his meaning cannot be mistaken, if we attend to the circum- 
stances of the case, as described in Matt. xxi. 23 to 27. Mark xL 
27 to 33. Luke xx. 1 to 8. 

On the other hand, his disciples and apostles uniformly refer- 
red all their ability and success to Jesus ; never for a moment 
claiming to themselves the merit, which exclusively belonged to 
him. Peter and John healed the lame man at the gate of the tem- 
ple, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Actsiii. 6; and 
earnestly cautioned the people, who were filled with amazement 
at what had happened, not to ascribe the cure to any power or 
holiness of theirs, but solely to the name of Jesus, and to faith 
in that name, ver. 12 to 16; chap. iv. 7 to 10. Philip also per- 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



90 



formed miracles in the name of Jesus, Acts viii. 5 to 7, 12. Pe- 
ter cured a man at Lydda, named Eneas, who had kept his bed 
ei^ht years with the palsy, by saying to him, "Jesus Christ 
" maketh thee whole : arise, and make thy bed," Acts ix. 33, 34. 
Paul, in company with Barnabas, preached the gospel at Lystra, 
and healed a cripple there, but referred all the honour to the 
living God, Acts xiv. 8 to 18. The same apostle, in the name of 
Jesus Christ, cast out of a young damsel a spirit of divination, 
Acts xvi. 18. Likewise the seventy apostles, after being sent out 
by Jesus to preach the gospel, "returned again with joy, saying, 
" Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name,' 19 
Luke x. 17. 

In short, nothing is more evident, than that Jesus acted by his 
own authority, (Matt. vii. 29.) underived from any being supe- 
rior to, or different from, himself ; while, on the contrary, his 
disciples and apostles performed all their works in the name, and 
hy the sole power and authority, of him their Lord and Master. 



[35.] Matt. xvii. 24 to 27. " And when they were come to 
" Capernaum, they that received tribute-money came to Peter, 
" and said, Doth not your Master pay tribute ? He saith, Yes. 
" And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, 
" saying. What thinkest thou, Simon ? of whom do the kings of 
" the earth take custom or tribute ? of their own children, or of 
•• strangers ? Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith 
" unto him, Then are the children free. Notwithstanding, lest 
" we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, 
" and take up the fish that first cometh up : and when thou hast 
" opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money : that take, 
" and give unto them for me and thee." 

Two examples of supernatural knowledge are here related of Je- 
sus : the first, that of his anticipating the thoughts of Peter before 
he began to speak, shewing that he was privy to the conversation 
which had passed between him and the collectors of tribute, 



100 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



though not in the personal presence or hearing of Jesus ; and 
the second, that of his directing him where to find a piece of mo- 
ney, namely, in the mouth of the first fish which he should draw 
up out of the sea. We have already offered a few considerations 
on the extraordinary circumstance of his knowing the thoughts of 
men ; a faculty, which in a peculiar manner distinguishes the 
character of Jesus. When Peter came into the house, where 
Jesus was, apparently with the intention of informing his Mas- 
ter, that the collectors had applied to him for the tribute-money 
due to the state, Jesus, without waiting for such information, im- 
mediately prevented him, that is, anticipated all that he had to 
say, and introduced the subject matter of his thoughts, by putting 
the following question : " What thinkest thou, Simon ? of whom 
« do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute ? of their own 
" children, or of strangers ?" On hearing such a question, at the 
very moment when perhaps the same reflections were passing in 
his own mind, how must the faith of Peter in his Divine Master 
have been increased and confirmed ! But when afterwards, in 
obedience to his command, he went to the sea, and found, as 
foretold, in the mouth of the first-caught fish a piece of money 
sufficient to satisfy the claims of the civil power, with what asto- 
nishment must he have contemplated the whole transaction! 

Such repeated proofs of supernatural knowledge, extending not 
only to the thoughts of the human heart, but even to the cham- 
bers of the great deep, and the hidden localities of nature, must 
have impressed upon the mind of Peter a conviction of the divine 
omniscience of his Lord, And nothing less, even at this distance 
of time, can be the legitimate result of an impartial review of the 
case, than a similar conviction wrought on the mind of every true 
believer in the Christian revelation. 

It is in this way that the proof of the Divinity of our Saviour 
is incontestably established. The divine attributes and perfec- 
tions are all found to exist in him. Sometimes one, and some- 
times another, is distinctly exhibited to view ; and occasionally 
the full assemblage of his glories beams in his Word. But rea- 
son and revelation both dictate, that wherever one divine proper- 
ty, attribute, or perfection, is plainly discoverable, there of ne- 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



101 



cessity must every other character of Deity be concentrated and 
united, however latent or unperceived may be their operation and 
activity. And hence, by every rule of genuine deduction, we 
are led to conclude, that, as in our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
Christ has been found some one or more of the acknowledged 
characters of Divinity, so in him also must the fulness or totality 
of the Godhead essentially reside, by reason of the perfect unity 
and absolute indivisibility of it's nature. 



[36.] Matt, xviii. 19. " Where two or three are gathered to- 
" gether in my name, there am I in the midst of them" 

Here again a divine attribute is expressly claimed by Jesus, 
namely, fhat of omnipresence : for on no other principle can his 
words have application to his disciples and followers, that is, to his 
church, in all nations, and in all ages. With a view to the pro- 
mulgation of this doctrine, he also said unto them, just previous 
to his ascension into heaven, " Lo, I" am with you always even 
<fi unto the end of the world," or, as it should have been render- 
ed, " even unto the consummation of the age," Matt, xxviii. 20. 
And in another place he declares, that the Spirit of truth, which 
is the divine proceeding from himself, and therefore in this re- 
spect the same as himself, dwelleth with, and will be in his dis- 
ciples, John xiv. 17, 18. More evident proof of his divine omni- 
presence cannot be given ; and, one would think, can scarcely be 
recjuired even by an infidel. 

Language similar to that of the Evangelists is also adopted by 
the Prophets, when they describe the presence of Jehovah in 
the midst of his people. " Great is the Holy One of Israel in 
" the midst of thee," Isa. xii. 6. " I am God, and not man, the 
" Holy One in the jnidst of thee," Hos. xi. 9. " The King of 
»'< Israel, even Jehovah, is in the midst of thee," Zeph. iii. 15. 
66 Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion ; for lo, I come, and I 
i; will dwell in the midst of thee, saith Jehovah," Zech. ii, 10. 



102 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



From the strong resemblance, which exists between the descrip- 
tion given in the Old Testament, of the perpetual presence and 
habitation of Jehovah in and among his people, and that given 
in the New, of the equally perpetual presence of Jesus in the 
midst of his disciples, or church ; how plain is it to perceive, 
that bj both names is meant one and the same Divine Being, one 
and the same eternal and omnipresent God ; who is first distin- 
guished as to his divine essence by the sacred name Jehovah, 
and then as to his divine form by the no less sacred and adorable 
name Jesus ! 

Numerous are the instances of a similar nature in the Holy 
Word, where characters proper to Divinity are also ascribed to 
Humanity, but to Humanity glorified, or in a state of union with 
Divinity. And as such union took place only in the person of 
Jesus Christ, it is on this account so frequently and distinctly 
repeated, That the Father is in him, and he in the Fath%r. That 
all things, which the Father hath, are his. That he and the Fa- 
ther are One. That whosoever seeth, believeth, and honoureth 
the Son, seeth, believeth, and honoureth the Father also. That 
he, who believeth not the Son, shall not see life ; because the re- 
jection or denial of the Son, which is the divine form, implies the 
rejection or denial of the Father, which is the divine essence. 
That whatsoever things the Father doth, these also doth the Son 
likewise. That as the Father, the Divinity, or the purely divine 
essence, hath life in himself ; so hath he given to the Son, to the 
Humanity, or to the divine form, to have life in himself; both to- 
gether thus constituting the one only fountain and source of all 
life and being. That all power is given unto Jesus both in hea- 
ven and in earth ; by which we are to understand, that all the 
powers of Divinity are exercised by the Humanity glorified. 
That no one cometh unto the Father, but by or through the Son ; 
just as no one can discover or perceive an essence, but in and by 
means of it's form ; or as no one can have access to the soul or 
mind of another, but by approaching his body, wherein alone it 
resides. That the Son, or the Humanity, cloth nothing of itself, 
©r separately from the Divinity ; but both the Father and the Son 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



105 



together, that is, the Divinity and the Humanity united, perform 
all the great works of redemption and salvation. That whoso- 
ever entereth not by the door into the sheep-fold, that is, by the 
Humanity, which is the door or medium of access, into the 
church, and so to the Father, but climbeth up some other way, as 
by attempting to worship the Father, or Divinity, out of or above 
the Son, or Humanity, the same is a thief and a robber : because 
such an one denies to Jesus, or the Humanity, those divine 
honours which exclusively belong to him, as being the very form 
of the divine essence, or the only Object, in whom the divine at- 
tributes and perfections can be rationally contemplated and ador- 
ed. That the sheep, or members of the church, are equally in 
the hand of Jesus, and of the Father 5 and that no invading 
power can possibly injure or remove them : implying, that the 
protection and security of all who are saved depends entirely on 
the Omnipotence of the Lord's Divine Humanity, which is also 
called in Scripture the very Arm of Jehovah, Isa. liii. 1. John 
xii. 38. That a saving faith is not a faith in the Humanity of 
Jesus separate from his Divinity, no, nor in his Divinity sepa- 
rate from his Humanity, but a faith in both united, as directed to 
One God in One Divine Human Form. That it is therefore alike 
necessary and essentially requisite to salvation and eternal life, 
that a man believe in Jesus and in Jehovah, that is to say, in 
the Son as well as in the Father, in the divine form as well as in 
the divine essence, or in the Humanity as well as in the Divini- 
ty : for by thus uniting in our minds Divinity with Humanity, the 
Father is glorified in the Son, and the Son also with the Father; 
so that both together, the Father and the Son, the Divinity and 
the Humanity, Jehovah and Jesus, constitute only one and the 
same adorable God, the single Object of worship to angels in hea- 
ven, and men upon earth. 



[37.] Matt. xix. 16 to 22. " And behold, one came and said 
^unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I 
: may have eternal life ? And he said unto him, Why callesttkou 



104 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



" me good? there is none good but one, that is, God : but if thou 
* fi wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto 
" him, Which ? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder ; thou shalfc 
" not commit adultery 5 thou shalt not steal 5 thou shalt not bear 
" false witness ; honour thy father and thy mother 5 and, thoa 
" shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. The young man saith unto 
" him, All these things have I kept from my youth up : what lack 
66 1 yet? Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell 
" that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have trea- 
" sure in heaven : and come and follow Me. But when the young 
" man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful : for he had 
"great possessions." See also Mark x. 17 to 22. Luke xviii. 18 
to 23. 



This passage is selected for observation on two accounts. The 
first is, because it has been most improperly understood by some 
to imply a refusal, on the part of Jesus, to receive the appella- 
tion of Good Master, and his desire to refer all goodness to the 
one God as to another Being superior to, and distinct from him- 
self: for it is observed, that when the young man said unto him, 
66 Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eter- 
" nal life ? Jesus answered him by first saying, Why callest thou 
" me good, since there is nond good but the one God?" The se- 
cond reason is, because the whole passage, when duly considered, 
furnishes a most striking evidence in favour of the exclusive di- 
vinity of Jesus, and demonstrates, that he himself was that iden- 
tical God, to whom he alluded, as being the One Sole and Su- 
preme Good. 

From the character given of the young man it appears, that he 
had been piously educated, and had lived at least in external 
obedience to the divine precepts above enumerated. Conceiv- 
ing, no doubt, that his future salvation depended on the strict 
observance of the duties of moral and civil life, he looks with 
complacency on his own conduct as a religious character, and in 
the pride of self -righteousness exclaims, " All these things have I 
" kept from my youth up : what lack I yet ?" To whom Jesus 
replied, « If thou ivilt he perfe&t, that is, if thou wilt be com- 



UNITARIANS. TRINITARIANS. &c. 



10.5 



" pletely regenerated both internally and externally, in heart and 
M in life, then the following most essential conditions of the new 
" life must be observed, in addition to all the preceding states of 
" reformation. Go and sell that thou hast* and give to the poor ; 
" that is, remove from thy mind every idea of thy own merit, 
a every inordinate affection of self-love and the love of the world, 
" and from a principle of pure charity and disinterested benevo- 
M lence communicate to others of those spiritual riches, which 
4i thou hast already acquired : so shalt thou be prepared for the 
"further and more interior reception of divine truths, and thus 
" lay up for thyself treasure in heaven. But, above all, come and 
& follow Me : that is, acknowledge Me to be the Supreme 
6 * Good, the only giver of every perfect gift: look up to Me for 
" ability and grace to renounce thy evils : expect from my hands 
ii all that thou hast been taught to pray for from a God of mercy 
6i and compassion : and finally, in my person behold the true Ob- 
" ject of thy faith, thy love, and thy adoration. This therefore 
<; is that one thing, that pearl of great price, which thou still 

lackest. and without which thou art in reality poor and misera- 
<• ble. notwithstanding all the riches, all the science, which thou 
<; hast treasured up in thy head or thy memory.*' 

With respect to the circumstance of our Lord's putting the 
question," Why callest thou me good 2" from which the Unita- 
rians have rashly and most unjustifiably inferred, that he refused 
the title, on the ground that it belonged not to him, as being a 
mere man. but to another, who is God t we have to observe, that 
it might be sufficient to repel one assertion by opposing to it an- 
other, which would still leave the matter to be decided by scrip- 
tural evidence and rational argument. Thus, while Unitarians 
assert, that Jesus refused the title of Good Master, we assert, 
that he claimed it. So far, therefore, nothing is gained on either 
side: and the question between us remains in a state of equili- 
brium, just as before. Only it is observable, that the Unitarian 
forms his judgment, and draws his conclusion, from the mere 
exordium, or introductory proposition laid down by Jesus in the 
double form of a question relative to himself, and an axiom rela- 
tive to Deity ; and this he does without paying the smallest at- 

O 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



tention to the tenour of the argument that follows, and especial- 
ly to it's final result, when Jesus holds up Himself alone as the 
Object to be loved, approached, and followed. By the same rule 
he might also infer, that Jesus refused the title of Loud, when 
he said to his disciples, " Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do 
not the things which I say ?" Luke vi. 46. Whereas, on the 
contrary, we conceive it our duty to listen with attention to the 
proposition, the argument, and the conclusion, as knowing that 
there must be a depth, yea an infinity of wisdom contained in 
every word and every sentiment uttered by the mouth of Jesus. 
And by so doing, and at the same time by comparing his words in 
one place with his words in another place, we gain a clear, correct, 
and most satisfactory evidence in proof not only that he is our Lord 
and Master, as he is universally acknowledged to be, but that he 
is also a Good Lord, and a Good Master, notwithstanding the ingra- 
titude of those, who refuse to hail him with so divine a title. 

When our Lord says, " Why callest thou me good? there is 
" none good but one, that is, God so far is he from refusing the 
title of Good Master, or reproving the young man for conferring 
it upon him, or in any way whatever objecting to be so honoured, 
or even to be esteemed as the One Good God himself, that he 
plainly admits it, particularly at the conclusion of his conversa- 
tion with him, when, instead of directing him to any other being, 
he openly invites him to Himself alone. The design of Jesus, 
therefore, in putting the question at first, evidently appears to be, 
to suggest to the young man an inquiry into, and an examination 
of, the grounds upon which he makes his confession and acknow- 
ledgment of Jesus as being a Good blaster ; whether it be mere- 
ly from an external consideration of the respect, which is due 
from one man to another ; or whether it originate in any higher 
or more interior sentiment of faith as directed towards the per- 
son and character of the Lord ; in order that from a blind, un- 
meaning confession of the lips, he might gradually, and by a ra- 
tional conviction in his own mind, be brought to see and acknow- 
ledge Jesus himself as the fountain of all good, and conse- 
quently as the One God, to whom alone the title of Good Mas- 
ter belongs. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



10? 



That Jesus approved of the title Master, which was given him 
by his disciples, is plain from John xiii. 13, where he says to 
them, " Ye call me Master, and Lord ; and ye say well ; for so 
" lam." That he also claimed to himself the epithet Good, is 
equally plain from John x. 11, 14: "I am," (says he) 44 the 
" Good Shepherd." Now if the term Good justly and truly be- 
long to Jesus as the Shepherd of his sheep, surely it may with 
equal propriety be applied to him as the Master of his disciples : 
for the character of Good Shepherd is no less divine, than that of 
Good Master. In the one case he assumes to himself a title, 
which avowedly characterizes the great Jehovah, Ps. xxiii. 1; 
Isa. xl. 11 ; Ezek. xxxiv. 11: and in the other case he refuses not 
a name of similar, perhaps of minor import, but only urges the 
expediency of acknowledging and making confession of his good- 
ness with the heart and understanding, as well as with the mouth 
and tongue ; and at last takes up the entire character, by saying, 
" Come and follow Me." He moreover, in John x. 28, says, that 
44 He gives eternal life to his sheep." Now eternal life is a good, 
and a great good too; and Jesus must be possessed of it, before 
he can give it to others. It follows, therefore, that he himself 
must be good, and good in the highest sense of the word, that is, 
Divine Good : and if so, he must be God, and the very God he 
meant, when he said, 44 There is none good but One, that is, 

God." 

It is a remarkable circumstance, that, when the young man de- 
aired to know which of the commandments were necessary to be 
kept, in order to his entering into life, Jesus enumerated such as 
have respect to charity, or the love of his neighbour, that is to say, 
seven out of the ten; (two being included under one head;) and 
omitted those which have more immediate reference to the icor- 
ship of God, the veneration of his name, and the sanctity of the 
sabbath : but particularly it is observable, that he made no men- 
tion of the first, which yet in another place he calls the great 
commandment, Matt. xxii. 38. Was this through accident, or de- 
sign ? The former it could not be, in a work the production of 
Infinite Wisdom, as every genuine book of divine revelation most 
certainly is. It must therefore have been through design of the 



103 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



great Speaker himself, who, at the close of the interview and 
conversation with the young man, directs him to Himself, as the 
only Object by and from whom his spiritual wants could be sup- 
plied, and his worship and life be made perfect. " Come, and 
" follow Me." This is the key to all that precedes : it supplies 
what might otherwise be considered as a defect in the enumera- 
tion, which Jesus made, of the divine precepts; and thus it truly 
becomes, what he intended it to be, the first, the last, and the 
great commandment. For in approaching, and in life following 
Jesus, we actually acknowledge and worship him as the Great 
Jehovah God in Human Form ; we venerate and glorify his 
name, his person, and his character ; and at the same time we 
perceive and confess, that the perfect union of Divinity and Hu- 
manity in Kim alone is itself the sum, the source, and the morn- 
ing of that everlasting sabbath of rest, into which all, who thus 
honour, love, and serve him, will infallibly enter, when the toils 
and tempests attending their regeneration are completely at an 
end. 

Such appears to be the genuine sense of the passage, from 
which the following great truths are plainly deducible, namely, 
1 . That it is not sufficient to live a civil, a moral, or even what is 
called a religious life, by conforming externally to the divine com- 
mands, and by directing our worship to an invisible God the 
Creator of the universe, of whom no rational or determinate view 
can be formed in the mind : for in all probability the young man, 
spoken of above, in common with the Pharisees, and other high 
professors of theology, had long bee^- in the habit of so living, 
and of so worshipping. But, 2. That it is of all things most es- 
sentially requisite to acknowledge the Saviour himself, Jesus 
Christ, as the alone wise and merciful God, from whom is to be 
derived every thing spiritual, holy, and divine, which is capable 
of exalting the mind of man, or of blessing him with a happy im- 
mortality. And therefore, 3. That he alone is to be worshipped, 
both in heart and in life, as the Supreme Good brought down 
from heaven to earth, as the great Sovereign of the universe ma- 
nifested in the flesh, and thus made known to his creatures as 
their Parent, Protector, and everlasting Salvation. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c, 109 



In confirmation of this view of the subject, let us further at- 
tend to what the Lord says on another occasion, as described by 
the Evangelist Mark. " One of the scribes came, and asked, 
" Which is the first commandment of all ? And Jesus answered 
" him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel, the 
" Lord our God is one Lord ; and thou shalt love the Lord thy 
" God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy 
" mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment, 
" And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy 
" neighbour as thyself: there is none other commandment greater 
" than these. And the scribe said unto hir>, Well, Master, thou 
4 i hast said the truth : for there is one God^ and there is none 
" other but he. And to love him with all the heart, and with all 
" the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the 
" strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all 
" whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices. And when Jesus saw 
\ 4 that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not 
" far from the kingdom of God." Mark xii. 28 to 34. 

The kingdom of God upon earth is the true Christian church, 
or the true Christian religion. Now from the whole of the case 
here quoted it is plain, that to acknowledge and worship One 
God, without knowing ivho is that God, and at the same time to 
love our neighbour even in the manner stated by the scribe, does 
not actually place the man so worshipping and so living within 
the heavenly kingdom in the sense above described, but only near 
unto it: for our Lord said to the scribe, " Thou art not far from 
" the kingdom of God." 

The doctrine here inculcated is similar to that taught in Matt, 
xix. 16 to 22, where, as already noticed, the young man, who 
had desired to know what he should do to inherit eternal life, re- 
marks, that he had observed from his youth the various com- 
mandments there enumerated ; to whom Jesus answered, that 
he still lacked one thing, and if he would be perfect, or become 
a full recipient of the heavenly life, he must sell what he had, re- 
nounce his own proprium or self-will, take up his cross, and fol- 
low him. In like manner, from the present passage it appears, 
that it is not quite enough to worship or to love One God, if that 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



God be an invisible, and consequently an inaccessible one, be- 
cause worship or love cannot properly be directed to such a God; 
neither is it quite enough for a man to love his neighbour as 
himself, unless this love be acknowledged to be derived from 
love to the true God. And therefore the only thing required of 
one, who thus ignorantly, but perhaps sincerely, worships, " he 
" knows not what " John iv. 22, is, that he perceive, acknow- 
ledge, and adore a visible and accessible God in the person of 
Jesus Christ; that, instead of addressing any longer an invisi- 
ble Being, with whom no sensible, no real conjunction can be 
formed, he immediately approach a God visible to the mental eye, 
and capable of being embraced by the affections of the heart. 
Then truly it will be found, that, instead of standing without, or 
only near to the heavenly kingdom, he will be actually introduced 
with joy and gladness into the happy land itself, and pass through 
the gates into the very heart of the new city, where is the habita- 
tion and the temple of our God. 

That this doctrine, however, concerning the Lord, will not 
easily be admitted by those, who imagine themselves already in 
the enjoyment of great possessions, or sufficiently versed in the 
knowledge of spiritual tilings; but that they will, like the young 
man, turn away from it in sadness or disgust; is nothing more 
than may be expected. For the character of all such being en- 
graven on the page of truth, their reluctance to acknowledge the 
sole divinity of the Lord, and to receive him, not merely as a 
prophet or messenger deputed to make known the will of ano- 
ther, but as the Supreme God himself incarnate, still contributes 
to confirm the testimony of revelation, and to bring it's predic- 
tions into actual accomplishment. No denial, therefore, of the 
great doctrine here advanced, whether it be on the part of estab- 
lished churches, of congregated societies, or of individual secta- 
ries, can ever invalidate or weaken it's authority : for being in 
itself a divine and holy truth, founded on the Sacred Scriptures, 
and confirmed by them as their first, their last, and most essen- 
tial feature, it forms the great corner-stone of the true Christian 
temple, and must remain to eternity the crown and the glory of 
revealed religion, 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



ill 



[38.] Matt. xx. 30 to 34. " And behold, two blind men sit- 
u ting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, 
" cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, 0 Lord, thou Son of Da- 
" vid, And the multitude rebuked them, because they should 
" hold their peace : but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy 
" on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. And Jesus stood still, and 
" called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? 
*f They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. So 
'» Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and 
U immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him." 
See also chap. ix. 27 to 30. Mark viii. 22 to 26 ; chap. x. 46 to 
52. Luke xviii. 35 to 43. John ix. 1 to 41. 



We have already, under article 16, made some remarks on the 
ability of Jesus to open the eyes of the blind ; and shewn, that 
this ability was exerted by him in consequence of their faith di- 
rected to him in person. The same is observable, in the transac- 
tion above described. We no where read in the Gospels, that 
either the blind, the deaf, the dumb, the lame, or the sick, were 
healed by any God the Father out of, or separate from Jesus 
Chkist : neither do we find, that any pravers offered up to such 
an imaginary being were ever answered, or even heard by him. 
So in like manner it appears, that even now, as in all former 
times, a worship, or a faith, which is directed to an invisible and 
unknown God, or to a being alike destitute of substance and form, 
and consequently having neither eyes to see, nor ears to hear, 
nor hands to supply, the wants of those who address him, can 
never in the nature of things be either answered or regarded. 

But widely different in it's nature, and likewise in it's effects, 
is a worship, a faith, or a prayer, which is directed to a God visi- 
ble, incarnate, and thus having all the powers and attributes of 
Divinity concentrated and embodied in the human form; a form* 
to which every thing in the created universe bears some relation, 
either directly or indirectly ; and which, therefore, in it's highest 
degree of perfection, that is, when united with the divine essence, 
as it was in the person of Jesus, becomes the true end and ob- 
ject of all legitimate worship, whether it arise from the altar of 



112 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



a human or of an angelic breast. To this Divine Man. by 
whatever name he be distinguished in the Sacred Records, whe- 
ther as the Angel of Jehovah, or the promised Messiah, or 
the actually incarnate Saviour of the world, if the humble pray- 
ers and adorations of the heart be offered, in a pure faith, and in 
sincere acknowledgment of his sole and exclusive Divinitv. the 
veracity and sanctity of his Word are pledged to the perform- 
ance of all that the creature can reasonably desire. Hence, 
when the two blind men addressed him, saying, " Have mercv on 
"us, O Lord, thou Son of David,*' Jesus called them, and said, 
" What will ye that I shall do unto you ?" They answered, 
" Lord, that our eyes may be opened." Whereupon he had com- 
passion on them, and touched their eyes; immediately they re- 
ceived their sight. 

In another place our Lord says to his disciples, 6i Hitherto 
"have ye asked nothing in my name that is, ye have not as 
yet directed your prayers to the Father, or divine essence, as 
dwelling in me, thus not to the Divinity and the Humanity under 
one view. " Ask" in this manner, " and ye shall receive, that 
" your joy may be full,*' John xvi. 24. In the 23d verse of the 
same chapter he observes. " Whatsoever ye shall ask the Fa- 
" ther in my name, he will give it you :" but in chap. xiv. 13. lie 
also says, " Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, 
" that the Father may be glorified in the Son." And to enforce 
this latter sentiment, which he foresaw would be received with 
great difficulty by some minds, he again repeats it in verse 14 : 
" If ye shall ask any thing in my name, / will do it.'- 

From these passages compared together, and understood in the 
only way in which they can be, consistently with each other, this 
great truth most evidently results, namely, That the Father dwells 
in the Son, just as the soul dwells in the body : that they in like 
manner constitute One Person: and consequently that, though they 
are distinguished in name, and even in idea, the one from the 
other, just as the soul and body of man are distinguished, or as 
essence and form are distinguished, yet both together are to be 
considered as for ever united in One; and therefore that it 
amounts to the same thing, whether it be said, that the Father 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 1U 

will answer the prayer, or that the Son will answer it, since in 
either case it is still the act of one and the same individual and 
eternal Jehovah. 

But as the Father, or invisible Divinity, resides in, and not out 
©f, the visible Humanity of Jesus ; as at the same time this Huma- 
nity or body of Jesus, now glorified, or fully united with the di- 
vine essence called the Father, is equally omnipotent and omni- 
present with the pure Divinity itself, which is within it ; and as 
again no man hath seen or can see, or in any possible way can 
conceive of, much less approach, the naked Divinity, such as it is 
in itself, without danger of falling first into mere Naturalism, 
and afterwards into downright Atheism 5 it has therefore pleased 
the merciful Parent and Benefactor of his creatures to reveal 
himself to them as a Divine Man, nay to present himself actu^ 
ally before them for a time under the veil of mere flesh, that 
therein and thereby he might bring down among them the heal- 
ing virtues of his Holy Spirit, and thus, in a way accommodated 
to their infirmities and imperfections, gradually but effectually in- 
struct them with his wisdom, bless them with his love, and final- 
ly receive them to himself in his everlasting kingdom. 

It is for this great end, that the whole book of revelation, and 
especially the New Testament, continually calls upon and teaches 
man to direct his faith and his worship to Jesus Christ, first as 
the Son of God, by which expression is meant the divine truth 
proceeding from the divine good, or the Word made flesh ; then as 
the God of heaven and earth ; and finally, as One with the Father 9 
yea as the Father himself in a Human Form, besides whom there 
is and can be neither Creator nor Redeemer, neither Father nor 
Saviour of mankind. 

The primitive Christians in general regarded him in the first 
character ; and possibly some of them might have looked upon 
him in the second : but it was reserved for men of the present 
day, believing with their heart the whole testimony of divine re- 
velation, and at the same time, by the just exercise of their un- 
derstanding, perceiving the wisdom of it's contents, to behold in 
the single person of Jesus, not only his first and second charac- 
ters, but also his third, his most interior, and most perfect of all 

P 



114 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



characters, namely, his absolute identity with the Father himself; 
insomuch that he is now regarded as at once the Father, the Son, 
and the Holy Spirit ; in other words, as the alone Creator from 
eternity, Redeemer in time, and Regenerator for evermore. 

And this we understand to be a full accomplishment of that ex- 
traordinary prediction of the Lord concerning the Father, which 
has heretofore been so little noticed in the church, but which now 
calls for our particular attention. " The time cometh," (says he,) 
" when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew 
" you plainly of the Father" John xvi. 25. To speak inprover bs, 
and in parables, is to speak obscurely, or in such terms as do not 
immediately or directly convey the plain and full meaning of the 
speaker; and this was the usual practice of the Lord, because, as 
he observes in another place, his disciples could not at that time 
bear or comprehend the more interior truths, which he had in re- 
serve for his future church. The great doctrine, which he allud- 
ed to, concerning the Father, could not possibly be that, which 
the generality of mankind in all ages have held, and which even 
they who call themselves Christians in the present day maintain, 
in respect to an invisible Creator of the universe ; but it must 
have been a new, but plain and open revelation concerning Him- 
self, in his capacity of Father, Parent, Protector, and Benefactor 
of the human race, which was neither known nor suspected by 
the wisest or the best of mankind. In short, it was the very doc- 
trine, which we have now the honour to announce, drawn with 
unerring certainty from the sacred fountain of divine truth itself, 
and communicated to the world by a messenger of the Lord's 
own appointment, for the edification, the comfort, and the happi- 
ness of his New and True Christian Church.* 

• The messenger here alluded to is the late Hon. Emaxuel Swe»enborg> 
whose various writings, in illustration of the Sacred Scriptures, we know not 
how sufficiently to appreciate and recommend. They absolutely supersede, 
and in a manner render nugatory, all that has been written on the sanctity 
and divinity of the Sacred Scriptures, even by the wisest and the best of 
commentators, from the days of the Apostles down to the very day on which 
he took up his pen, that is, down to the commencement of the New Jerusa- 
lem, which also is the era of the Lord's second advent. And hence it is, that 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 115 



[39.] Matt. xxi. 1 to 5. " And when they drew nigh unto 
" Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of 
« Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, saying unto them, Go 
" into the village over-against you, and straightway ye shall find 
" an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them 
" unto me. And if any man say aught unto you, ye shall say, 
" The Lord hath need of them, and straightway he will send them. 
" All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken 
6i by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Zion, Behold, 
" thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and 

we should consider it a waste of paper, but especially a waste of the reader's 
time, were we to appeal, for authority, or for genuine information on the 
great subject of this volume, to any of the writers alluded to, whether they 
have obtained the name of fathers or of mothers in the Christian church. But 
as in former times the least in the kingdom of heaven was greater than John 
the Baptist, though he excelled all that went before him, so now the meanest, 
humblest writer in the New Church can give more satisfactory, more certain 
information concerning the person and character of our Lord, than the very 
best, and wisest, and greatest in the former dispensation. For " from the 
" least of them, even unto the greatest of them, they all know" ivho and 
ivhat is " the Lord," Jer. xxxi. 34 ; which never yet was the case in the 
church, properly speaking, until the present day. This honour, however, be- 
longs not to, nor is it claimed by, any individual of the New Church ; but is 
with one unanimous voice ascribed solely to him, who has been pleased at 
length to reveal himself y and according to his faithful promise to " sheiv us 
"plainly of the Father." 

Instead, therefore, of referring the reader, for genuine information, and 
for the purest lessons of heavenly wisdom, to any writer whatever, whose 
name is unknown among the citizens of the New Jerusalem, we most sincere- 
ly and affectionately recommend to his notice, in the first place, the writings 
of the Author already mentioned, and in the next place, (to say nothing of 
the many anonymous papers in periodical publications, which from time to 
time appear,) the various Sermons, Essays, Letters, and other productions of 
the Rev. John Clowes, M. A. the Rev. Richard Jones, both of Manchester ; 
the Rev. Joseph Proud, the Rev. Manoah Sibly, the late Rev. James Hodsoi*-, 
M. D. and the Rev. Thomas Furloxg Churchill, M. D. all of London ; whose 
names and memory will ever be revered for the valuable services, which 
they have respectively performed to the New Church at large. 



116 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



« a colt the foal of an ass." See also Mark xi. 1 to 10. Luke 
xix. 28 to 38. John xii. 12 to 15. 

Many are the instances related in the Gospels, of the superna- 
tural knowledge and foresight of Jesus. Among the rest this 
tnust also have it's due weight with every attentive reader, name- 
ly, that Jesus knew, or perceived, not only the objects and cir- 
cumstances which were present to him, in common with his dis- 
ciples and others, but also the objects, occurrences, and inci- 
dents, which were not in like manner present, and which indeed 
could only have been seen by the broad eye of Omniscience it- 
self. From the passage, which lies before us, it is plainly to be 
inferred, that, with respect to local situation, neither Jesus nor 
his disciples could have a direct view either of the ass and her 
eolt, or of their owner : and yet he describes the precise circum- 
stances under which the messengers would find, and actually did 
find, the former ; while at the same time he distinctly apprizes 
them of the future conduct of the owner of the animals, and, ac- 
cording to the testimony of Mark and Luke, of the very words 
■which he would make use of on the occasion. Is this a trait of 
mere humanity ? 

But it is further remarkable, (and indeed what is there in the 
history of such a character as Jesus, that is not remarkable ?) 
that, when the Lord commissioned his two disciples to bring him 
the ass and her colt, he also gave them in charge what they were 
to reply, if any person should say aught unto them : " Ye shall 
" say, The Lord hath need of them.''' Plain and simple as the 
words appear, they yet contain an infinity of wisdom and of 
power. All the predictions of the Old Testament, all that was 
written in the law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the 
Psalms, concerning him, must have their accomplishment in his 
person. A divine necessity, which may be called the stream of 
Providence, flowing from his love and wisdom united, encircles, 
guides, inclines, and sweetly impels every sentient, every intelli- 
gent being to perform the sovereign purpose of his adorable will, 
yet without violating, or in the most inconceivably minute parti- 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 11? 



cular infringing that liberty, which he originally gave, and which 
he incessantly continues to bestow on man, as the universal, fun- 
damental, and eternal condition of his existence. No wonder 
then, when those divine words were repeated, which in them- 
selves " are spirit, and are life," that even a stranger to the dis- 
ciples, and probably to the person of Jesus, instantly and volun- 
tarily acquiesced in the proposal ; feeling perhaps in himself an 
internal dictate or impression^ which he could not account for, 
prompting him to comply with what was required of him, and 
thus to administer to the service of him, who, though unknown 
and disregarded by many on earth, is yet acknowledged and 
adored by angels in heaven, as the Sovereign King, and Univer- 
sal Lord. 



[40.] Matt. xxi. 18 to 20. « Now in the morning, as he re- 
" turned into the city, he hungered. And when he saw a fig- 
" tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but 
" leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee hence- 
66 forward for ever. And presently the fig-tree withered away. 
" And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How 
" soon is the fig-tree withered away /" See also Mark xi. 12* to 
14, 20. 



This is generally called cursing the fig-tree ; and some do not 
hesitate to pronounce it a most unreasonable act on the part of 
Jesus, (allowing him to be possessed of such an extraordinary 
power, as the history ascribes to him,) because in the Gospel by 
Mark it i3 expressly stated, that it was not then the time of figs. 
" Why>" say they, " should Jesus be so impatient of hunger, 

* The minister (not a Unitarian) who lately attributed " limitation of un= 
derstanding" to the Saviour, in a sermon on this subject, is recommended 

to compare Gen. iii. 9, 11. xviii. 21. Isa. lix. 16. Jer. xxxii. 25. Matt. vii. 

23. & xxv. 12. with Swedenborg's " Doctrine of the Sacred Scripture,'* 

^o. 95. Am. Pub. 



118 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



" and so vindictive on his disappointment ? Could not he, who 
" fed five thousand, and four thousand, at different times, with 
" only an handful of provision, and who caused a superabund- 
" ance to remain after they were all well filled, instantly supply 
" himself with all necessary sustenance, or at least so govern and 
4i subdue the cravings of appetite, as to submit with cheerfulness 
6t and content to the present privation, until he had entered the 
" city, where he might readily have satisfied his hunger? Why then 
" suffer his indignation to fall upon a poor tree, which was in no 
fi< fault, but on the contrary was actually in progress towards the 
" production of fruit in the proper season, having already put 
" forth it's leaves, as a preliminary proof of it's vegetative 
" powers ?" 

Such are the reflections and the reasonings of a mere Natu- 
ralist, of one who looks only at the bark, the leaf, the husk, the 
shell of things, instead of feasting upon the kernel, the fruit, the 
interior substance, for the sake of which all the previous stages of 
vegetation existed ; in other words, of one who dwells upon the 
mere letter of a divine history, and who is totally incompetent to 
form a correct judgment of the heavenly wisdom which lies con- 
cealed in this, as in every other part of the Sacred Scriptures. 

But before we hint at the true interpretation of the passage, it 
may be proper for a moment to leave our Naturalist or Material- 
ist to the enjoyment of his own sentiments of infidelity, that we 
may address ourselves more particularly to those, who are wil- 
ling to admit the authority and the right of Jesus to act as he 
did, however difficult they may find it to comprehend the reason- 
ableness of his conduct on the occasion. 

Some have even suspected an error in the original, and that in- 
stead of it's being said, as in Mark, that the time of figs was not 
yet, it ought to have been expressed thus, that it was then the 
time of figs ; by- which they imagine, that all the difficulty will 
be removed at once, and the reason given for cursing the fig-tree 
be found quite sufficient and satisfactory. Whether these pro- 
fessors of Christianity are agreed among themselves, or not, in 
their conjectures about the authenticity and accuracy of the text, 
as we now have it, they will nevertheless all acknowledge, that 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



119 



a word spoken by Jesus had the full effect of destroying, in an 
instant as it were, the interior organization of the tree, and re- 
ducing to a withered and sapless stock that vegetable production 
of nature, which required the presence of an omnipotent hand to 
cause it to be even what he then found it. They admit this, be- 
cause they read the fact, and have no clue to guide them to any 
higher, more interior, and more rational view of the transaction ; 
and yet many of them still consider Jesus to have been no other 
than a prophet, a messenger sent by God, similar but superior to 
others who had preceded him; while some are willing to raise him 
to the dignity of an angel; and others again to the high honour of 
being a kind of partner with the Supreme God in his divine attri- 
butes, not indeed as to his Humanity, but only as to his Divinity, 
which is out of and above it. 

But is the hand of Omnipotence, or the work of Infinite Wis- 
dom, to be thus arrested and dissolved at the mere will of a mor- 
tal man? or even of the highest created intelligence? Or are we 
to subscribe to the existence of two Omnipotent s, the one destroy- 
ing and annulling the work of another ? It cannot, it must not 5 
for a moment be admitted : and therefore of necessity we con- 
clude, that he, who by the word of his mouth could suspend and 
counteract the laws of nature, must at the same time have been 
the sole God of nature ; that God, who in ancient times " sent 
" Moses his servant, and Aaron whom he had chosen, to shew 
66 his signs among his enemies, and wonders in the land of Ham 
" [Egypt];" and who, among the rest of his judgments, " smote 
" their vines also, and their jig-trees ; and brake the trees of 
" their coasts," Ps. cv. 26, 27, S3. 

Having thus taken an exterior view of the transaction as rela- 
ted by the Evangelists, it may be useful, in a few words, to point 
out that more interior signification of the passage, to which we 
before alluded, and which will serve to shew, that whatever may 
be the difficulties belonging to the literal history, the internal 
sense, or spiritual instruction to be derived from it, is perfectly 
free from all rational objection. 

Trees in general, when referred to in the Holy Word, are sig- 
nificative of men, or of societies of men, called churches, especi- 



120 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



ally as to their perceptions and knowledges of good and truth 
from an interior affection : and hence, according to their respec- 
tive qualities or value, they denote churches or individuals of su- 
perior or inferior degrees of spiritual life. This appears very 
evident from the parable, which Jotham uttered concerning the 
trees which went forth on a time to anoint a king over them, as 
related in Judges ix. 8 to 20. In general it may be observed, 
that the olive, the vine, and the fig -tree, denote celestial, spiritu- 
al, and natural good, or, what amounts to the same thing, men in 
whom those different kinds or degrees of good are opened ; the 
term celestial implying what is inmost, or of the heart and it's 
affections ; the term spiritual, what is interior, being of the un- 
derstanding and it's perceptions ; and the term natural, what is 
external, or belonging to the outward life and conduct. 

From these preliminary observations it may now be seen, that 
the fig-tree on the way -side, near the city Jerusalem, was repre- 
sentative of the Jewish church and people, who were in mere ex- 
ternals, and totally destitute of every spiritual or interior good. 
By it's having leaves, but no fruit, upon it, is signified that they 
made a profession indeed with their lips of divine truths, such as 
are to be found in the mere letter of Scripture, but that they did 
not in their lives bring forth the good fruits of love and charity. 
Leaves denote external truths ; and fruit denotes a good life, 
from a principle of love to God, and charity towards our neigh- 
bour. It is added in the Gospel by Mark, that it was not the time 
of figs; and this is given as an additional reason or ground of 
the curse that followed. By time in the Holy Word is always 
meant state : when therefore it is said, that it was not the time of 
figs, we are to understand, that the Jewish church was in no 
state of producing even external or natural good, represented 
by figs. 

Thus we see, that what appears in the literal sense to be far 
from a justifiable reason for cursing the fig-tree, is in the spiritu- 
al sense, when applied to the Jewish people, the true and genu- 
ine cause of their extinction as a church and nation ; and when 
applied to mankind at large, the cause of all the evils and cala- 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 121 



mities experienced by them, whether as individuals, as societies, 
or as nations. 

And here let it be well observed, for it is a truth never to be 
lost sight of, that, although the literal sense of the passage as- 
cribes the destruction of the fig-tree to Jesus, as in other parts 
of the Word throughout, the miseries, calamities, and destruction 
of the wicked are in like manner attributed to the fury of Jeho- 
vah, or the wrath of God; still in the genuine spiritual sense 
nothing can be more distant from, or foreign to, the real nature 
of either the one or the other, seeing that in Jesus and Jehovah, 
which are only different names for one and the same God, is nei- 
ther fury nor vengeance, neither anger nor wrath, but, on the con- 
trary, the purest and most unbounded love, mercy, and compas- 
sion towards the whole of the human race. 

Another observation or two will conclude these reflections. It 
is stated, that the transaction relative to the fig-tree occurred in 
the morning, and that Jesus hungered. At first sight, and to a 
superficial reader, it may appear an unimportant circumstance, 
that the time of the day should make up a part of the relation. 
But in a work dictated by Divine Wisdom, nothing is to be con- 
sidered as a matter of indifference : every expression must have 
it's weight, and be fraught with instruction. The morning, there- 
fore, being the beginning of a new day, evidently implies the 
commencement of a new state, a new church, a new dispensation, 
brought about by the advent of Him into the world, who is so 
emphatically declared to be both " the life and the light of 
" men;" — " the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh 
" into the world ;" — " a light to lighten the gentiles, and the 
" glory of his people Israel ;" — in short, " the Sun of righteous- 
" ness himself, arising with healing in his wings." The forma- 
tion, or rather the foundation, of the Christian church, which the 
Lord laid while upon earth, was that morning, spiritually under- 
stood, to which the Evangelist alludes : and in the same sense 
the advent of the Lord into every mind, which is receptive of his 
holy and heavenly influence, is also, to the individual so blessed 
with his presence, the morning of an everlasting day, the spring 
•fa never-ending year. 

Q 



122 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



But what is meant by that hunger, to which Jesus was subject 
on that memorable morning ? Literally speaking, he looked for 
figs, and found nothing but leaves. But in spiritual language, he 
intensely desired to receive the homage of the heart and the life 
from his ancient people, whom he brought up, by his servant Mo- 
ses, out of the land of Egypt ; whom he led and nourished in the 
wilderness ; and whom he finally introduced into the promised 
land, where he then visited, instructed, and would have saved 
them with an everlasting salvation, had they but brought forth the 
fruits of good living, and not contented themselves with the mere 
leaves of an empty profession. Hunger has respect to food, or 
the appropriation of 'good ; and thirst to drink, or the appropria- 
tion of truth. It was the want of good, of love and charity in 
their spirit, of universal benevolence of heart both to friends and 
foes, which the Lord deplored in that worldly-minded people : it 
was also the recovery of those heavenly principles of spiritual 
life, after which he hungered, and which he was desirous of seeing 
established among them ; and not so much the mere knowledge 
of truth, after which he thirsted, seeing that they were already in 
the external possession of the Oracles of Divine Wisdom; though 
it must at the same time be confessed, that they had by their lusts 
and traditions well-nigh extinguished in themselves all the light 
of revelation. 

Taking now all these considerations in their true light ; view- 
ing the whole subject both in it's literal and in it's spiritual sense; 
comparing the effects produced by the word of Jesus with simi- 
lar signs and wonders performed in more ancient times by Jeho- 
vah ; and lastly, reflecting on the present state of the Jewish 
church and people, in whom we perceive the accomplishment of 
our Lord's prophetic declaration, that no fruit should thence-for- 
ivard grow on their tree, and that it has actually withered away, 
and nearly, if not entirely, cast all it's leaves, so that they can- 
not with any propriety be now called either a church or a nation, 
and in all probability will never again become such ; what other 
conclusion can we draw, in respect to Him, whose word and 
wisdom, whose omnipotence and omniscience, have thus been 
magnified in the sight of men and angels, but that which we 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



125 



have already drawn, and which shall again and again be demon- 
strated and confirmed, until the whole earth, i. e. the whole 
church, shall be Constrained to acknowledge and confess, from a 
view of the works which he hath wrought, That the Divine Man 
Jesus is at the same time the Omnipotent God JehovAh ? 



[41.] Matt. xxi. 23 to 27. 44 And when he was come into the 
44 temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto 
* 4 him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority dost thou 
* 4 these things? and who gave thee this authority? and Jesus 
44 answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one things 
44 which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what autho- 
H rity I do these things* The baptism of John, whence was it ? 
"'from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, 
64 saying, If we shall say, From heaven ; he will say unto us, 
44 Why did ye not then believe him ? But if we shall say, Of 
" men ; we fear the people ; for all hold John as a prophet. And 
44 they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said 
64 unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these 
44 things." See also Mark xi. 27 to 33. Luke xx. 1 to 8, 

Now we are come to the point : now we shall see, as so fair an 
opportunity is given, whether Jesus will, or will not, acknow- 
ledge and confess, that he has received a commission and autho- 
rity from any Being superior to, and different from himself, to 
perform the various Cures and miraculous works, which the 
scribes and Pharisees, the chief priests and elders of the people, 
had so frequently witnessed. They had seen him enter Jerusa- 
lem in the same pomp of procession, as was usual in ancient 
times, when judges, kings, and the sons of kings, made their state- 
appearance in public, riding either on asses or on mules, as ap- 
pears from Judges v. 10 ; chap. x. 3, 4 ; chap. xii. 14. 1 Kings 
i. 33, 38, 44, 45. They had heard the acclamations of the multi- 
tude, crying out in exultation, 44 Hosanna to the Son of David ! 
* 4 Blessed is he that eometh in the name of the Lord ! Hosanna 



124 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



" in the highest!" They had also observed with what power 
and authority he had purged the temple, casting out the buyers 
and the sellers, overturning the money -tables, and the seats of 
those who trafficked in doves ; and were no doubt thrown into 
the utmost astonishment, when he gave as his reason for all this, 
" It is written, " My house shall be called the house of prayer ; 
6i but ye have made it a den of thieves." Again, they could not 
but have remarked the miraculous cures, which he performed at 
the same time on the blind and the lame, who came to him in the 
temple; while the children were still shouting in their ears* 
" Hosanna to the Son of David !" " Blessed is the King of Is- 
"rael!" Lastly, they had witnessed the judgment of the fig- 
tree; and perhaps had been informed of the saying of Jesus on 
the occasion to his disciples, that " if they had faith, they should 
" be endued with power not only to destroy a tree, but even to 
" remove a mountain, and to cast it into the midst of the sea." 
These are the things, as related in the former part of Matt, xxi, 
which in all probability the chief priests and elders of the people* 
unable to gainsay or contradict them in any respect, must have 
had in their more immediate view, when they came to Jesus, and 
inquired by what authority he acted, and from whom he had re- 
ceived such authority. 

A more suitable opportunity could not have been given for Je- 
sus to declare the real nature of his character ; whether he came 
into the world as a sub-agent, deputed, delegated, or commission- 
ed by another Being called God, different in every respect from 
himself; whether he acted solely in the name, and under the 
avowed authority, of such different and distinct Being, in the ca- 
pacity of a mere servant and minister of God, whom he was 
bound to acknowledge as his Creator and Preserver, in common 
with the rest of finite intelligences ; or whether, on the other 
hand, he came down from heaven as the Divine Truth itself, or 
as the Word, or as God himself incarnate, and thus acted under 
his own proper authority, underived from any other Being or 
Power different from himself, but solely from that divine princi- 
ple and source of all life, which was within him, which was his 
own, and not another's, and which is understood in the Sacred 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 125 

Scriptures by the name of Father, while the visible form of that 
same divine essence is called the Son. 

Had the first supposition been a just view of his character, it 
is very extraordinary, and one would think not at all justifiable 
in a mere servant and messenger, that he did not eagerly embrace 
the opportunity of paying honour to his Master, and of declaring 
that he was of no higher consideration than Moses, or any of the 
prophets, being like them only a creature of yesterday ; cowse- 
quently that, his commission being defined, and his power circum- 
scribed by another, from whom he received it, he acted solely un- 
der the deputed authority of that other, and was responsible to 
him for every part of his conduct. His neglect, however, to do 
in this case what every reasonable person would judge to have 
been his indispensable duty, coupled with our knowledge or firm 
belief that all his words and works were founded in the deepest 
wisdom, naturally leads us to make a further inquiry into the 
true ground and reason of his conduct, which was so unexpected, 
and yet so satisfactory in it's final result. 

When Moses stood before Pharaoh, he declared in whose name, 
and by whose authority, he demanded the liberation of Israel 5 
and in no case have any of the true prophets, who succeeded him, 
ever claimed to themselves, or suffered others to impute to them, 
a power which exclusively belonged to the Supreme God. Nor 
can we believe, that Jesus, supposing him to have been a mere 
prophet or servant of God, similarly situated, and similarly en- 
dowed, would have been behind the very first or best of his 
brethren in deprecating even the appearance or suspicion of 
self-derived authority, and in explicitly ascribing all the honour, 
all the glory, and all the merit of his works to him, from whom 
alone they proceeded. 

From a full conviction, therefore, that Jesus was the very 
Wisdom or Word of God, and consequently that he was no less 
than God himself incarnate, since God and his Word are insepa- 
rably One, we feel ourselves under the highest obligation to re- 
ceive and acknowledge him in this first and greatest of characters. 
And hence we conclude, that by his refusing to give a direct an- 
iwer to the question of the chief priests and elders of the people, 



126 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



whom he knew to be incapable of any faith beyond the evidence 
of the external senses, he meant to teach us, (yet indirectly, lest 
the great lesson should prove too hard at first for our feeble un- 
derstanding, from it's being so contrary to all appearance,) that 
the authority under which he acted on every occasion, and the 
power which he displayed in the performance of every miracle . 
were absolutely and exclusively his own, being derived from no 
other Being, either in heaven or on earth, but originating in and 
with Himself alone. 

It is in reference to the great doctrine here advanced, and to 
this highest view of the person and character of Jesus, that the 
Sacred Scripture of the Old Testament, and the Sacred Scripture 
of the New Testament, like two cherubs over the mercy-seat 
looking at each other, (Exod. xxv. 19, 20,) so frequently and so 
emphatically declare, first by the voice of one, that Jehovah 
himself will assuredly descend, and become (what no other be- 
ing can or ever could become) the alone Saviour and Redeemer 
of mankind ; then by the voice of the other, that the same Jeho- 
vah did actually descend under the name of Emmanuel, or God 
with us, when Jesus the Christ was born of a virgin; and 
thus jointly and unanimously, that the Divinity and the Humani- 
ty, when united in one person, as they were in the person of Je- 
sus, became that Saviour and Redeemer, who had been so long 
promised and expected, and who is at length acknowledged in his 
church below, as he is also in his heaven above, to be " Alpha 
" and Omega, the beginning and the ending, the first and the last, 
& who was, who is, and who is to come, the Almighty." 

Another argument for the sole and exclusive divinity of Jesus, 
perhaps equally strong with that which we have just now been 
advancing, arises from the question, which he in his turn put to 
his inquisitive adversaries. 66 The baptism of John, whence was 
* 4 it ? from heaven, or of men ?" At first sight it may appear, as 
if this new subject had little or no reference to the point, concern- 
ing which they had been inquiring : for what, it may possibly be 
asked, could the baptism of John, who was now dead, have to do 
with the authority, by which Jesus acted ? Or why should any 
answer, which the priests might give to this question, furnish a 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, & c . 



127 



proper ground for the reply of Jesus to that, which was first 
proposed to him ? Conjectures of this kind may arise, and may 
be uselessly multiplied, until we turn our attention to the true 
meaning and design of the baptism of John. 

John was sent into the world for the express purpose of 
preparing the way for the advent of Jehovah God; on which 
account it is written in the prophet Malachi, " Behold, I will send 
" my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me ; and 
" the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple. 
" But who may abide the day of his coming ? and who shall stand 
" when he appeareth ?" chap. iii. 1, 2. Again, " Behold, I will 
" send you Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and 
" dreadful day of Jehovah. And he shall turn the heart of the 
" fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their 
" fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse," chap. iv. 
5, 6. Zacharias also, prophesying of his son John, saith, " And 
" thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest ; for thou 
" shalt go before the face of the Lord, to prepare his ways" 
Luke i. 76. And Jesus himself saith of John, " This is he, of 
" whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy 
" face, which shall prepare the way before thee" Luke vii. 27. 

The reason likewise why he was sent to prepare the way of Jeho- 
vah, both by baptism, and by the annunciation of his immediate 
advent, was, because otherwise the earth would have been smit- 
ten with a curse, Mai. iv. 6 : for the immediate presence of Je- 
hovah, even in the Humanity, cannot be endured by the church, 
except under a deep sense of humiliation or self-abasement, and 
at the same time of sincere repentance. This impending curse 
was averted by the baptism of John, which was a baptism of re- 
pentance. " Repent," saith he, "for the kingdom of heaven is 
" at hand," Matt. iii. 3. Mark i. 4. Luke iii. 3. And when John 
gives his testimony concerning Jesus, he does it in language, 
which cannot well be misunderstood. To those, who were sent 
to ask him, " Who art thou ?" he answered, " I am the voice of 
" one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the 
" Lord, as said the prophet Esaias," John i. 23: which same 
Lord is by the prophet, chap. xl. 3, expressly declared to be Je« 



I2S 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



hovah our God. But John continues : " I baptize with water: 
44 but there standeth One among you, whom ye know not : he it 
" is, who coming after me, is preferred before me, whose shoe- 
a latchet J am not worthy to unloose. But that he should be made 
" manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water," 
John i. 26, 27, 31. Again, He must increase, but I must decrease. 
66 He that cometh from above, is above all : he that is of the 
" earth, is earthly, and speaketh of the earth : he that cometh 
"from heaven, is above all " John iii. SO, SI. 

From all these considerations, well digested, it is now most 
evident, that John was the precursor of Jehovah in the flesh : 
and as he eonstantly<lirected his hearers to Jesus, and to no other 
Being, baptizing them externally with water, that they might 
afterwards be baptized internally with the Holy Spirit and with 
fire, it is equally plain, that, while he was thus preparing the way 
of Jesus, he considered that he was at the same time preparing 
the way of Jehovah, and thereby fulfilling the great end of his 
mission. 

And this leads us to perceive with what justice and propriety 
the Lord propounded to the chief priests and elders of the peo- 
ple the question concerning the baptism of John. For it is so in- 
timately connected with their previous inquiry, as to the right 
and authority by ivhich he acted, that whosoever has an under- 
standing to comprehend the one, can be at no loss to solve the 
other also. A direct answer by Jesus to the first question would, 
as before observed, have been to the Jews his enemies a too pre- 
cipitate introduction into that great truth, which they could not 
as yet admit, of his being the Supreme God, Jehovah Himself : 
he therefore refers them to the consideration of a preliminary 
truth, the baptism of John, which, if viewed in it's proper light, 
and compared with the prophetic Word, might gradually prepare 
them for the other more interior and more direct knowledge of 
himself, who, as God manifested in the flesh, is at once the Crea- 
tor, the Redeemer, and the Saviour of mankind. 

Thus with open eyes we see, that the baptism of John was not, 
and could not possibly have been, of men, but from heaven ; be- 
cause it does what no human power or authority can effect ; it 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 129 



prepares the mind for the advent of him, who came down from 
heaven, John iii. 31 ; chap. vi. 51 ; of him, who needeth not, and 
receiveth not, either testimony or honour from man, John v. 34, 
41 : and further, because he, who is the door, the way, the truth, 
and the life, can alone lead, by the baptism of repentance, and 
by a genuine faith, to the acknowledgment and love of himself? 
who hath all power and all authority both in heaven and on earth? 
Matt, xxviii. 18 ; and consequently who is from first to last the 
sole mover, conductor, and finisher of salvation. 

Him therefore, and Him alone, namely the Divine Man Jesus 
Christ, do we hail as the One blessed, and for ever to be adored 
God of the Universe ! His name alone do we bear on our 
standards, on our foreheads, and in our hearts ; while with shout- 
ings, acclamations, and incessant glorifications, we proclaim and 
crown him Lord of all ! 



. [42.] Matt. xxi. 42. " Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never 
" read in the Scriptures, Tlie Stone, which the builders rejected^ 
" the same is become the Head of the corner : this is the Lord's 
" doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes ?" See also Mark xii. 
10, 11. Luke xx. 17. Ps. cxviii. 22, 23. 



No one, at all acquainted with the language of the Sacred 
Scriptures, can for a moment doubt, that by the Stone here allud- 
ed to is meant the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who in other 
places is called a Rock, the Rock of Israel, the Rock of refuge, 
the Rock of salvation, &c* But perhaps there are many, who 
have not duly considered what is to be understood by the build- 

* Among the Jews indeed, who of all men are perhaps the most sensual 
and gross in their ideas concerning 1 the Word, it was a tradition, that, by the 
builders of the second temple, a certain stone was thrown aside among the 
rubbish, which was afterwards found to be exactly adapted for the chief 
corner-stone. But such literal application of the passage, without a higher 
sense, can surely never be considered as worthy to be ranked among the 
proofs of the miraculous works of Jehovah, 

R 



130 A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



ers rejecting that Stone, what by it's becoming the Head of the 
corner, and why this is said to be the work of the Lord, or of 
Jehovah, and at the same time matter of astonishment to all 
who have eyes or understandings to discern it. We will there- 
fore distinctly, but briefly, examine these very important points. 
The builders are all they, who by their doctrines and instruc- 
tions endeavour to form or build up the church, either among in- 
dividuals, or among societies. Among the Jews they were the 
priests, the elders, the Pharisees, the public readers^ and in ge- 
neral all who were engaged in the office of teaching and in- 
structing others. Among Christians they are the clergy or teach- 
ing ministers of all denominations 5 and it matters not whether 
they take the name of Catholics according to their several orders, 
or of Protestants and Reformed according to their many sub- 
divisions, sects, and parties, distinguished as they are by articles 
of faith, which are either established or only tolerated by the civil 
power. 

That the Stone of divine truth was rejected by the Jewish 
builders, when they refused to acknowledge Jesus as their Mes- 
siah, and especially when they took him, and bound him, and 
scourged him, and mocked him, and smote him, and at last cru- 
cified him, will not be denied by any who profess to believe and 
to reverence the history contained in the Gospels. But that he has 
been, and at this day still is, in like manner, though spiritually to 
be understood, bound, scourged, mocked, smitten, and even cru- 
cified, that is to say, rejected, and his divinity either totally de- 
nied, or else frittered away by being divided among two other 
persons besides himself, said to be co-equal and co-eternal with 
him in majesty, glory, and divinity, is a fact, which, though 
most evident in itself, yet requires to be held up to public view, 
because many (it is to be supposed) are not at all aware of the 
charge, which they have incurred, and of the great indignity, 
which they daily offer to the person and character of Jesus 
Christ. 

It is true, these builders will speak of him as their Saviour 
and their Redeemer ; they will even with their lips celebrate and 
magnify him for what they suppose he has done and suffered in 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



151 



their behalf ; and at times, when they lose sight of the Father^ 
who is the chief object of their worship and their dread, a sense 
of gratitude to the Son will break out into something that resem- 
bles warship. Yet who cannot see, that in all this they still con- 
sider Jesus, or the Son, as inferior to the Father, and so entirely 
distinct from him, that the worship of the one detracts from, and 
militates against, the worship of the other ; until at last it is 
scarcely known which of them ought to be addressed first, and 
which last, lest the other should peradventure take umbrage, and 
suffer his jealousy to be awakened either against his fellow-god, 
or against the deluded but perhaps sincere petitioner. In either 
case, inasmuch as the worship is divided between two or more, it 
becomes an empty, vain, contradictory, and even idolatrous wor- 
ship. Babel is it's name, and confusion is it's language. 

Thus he, who alone is the Rock of ages, the Corner-stone of 
the church, the Word of divine truth itself, presented to us un- 
der the form of a Divine Man, is either rejected or neglected by 
the builders at large, not by a few solitary individuals among 
them, but by whole societies and nations at a time, by assemblies 
and convocations, synods and councils, popes, cardinals, bishops, 
priests, and presbyters, in all their public acts, their established 
or non-established forms and declarations of faith, and indeed in 
almost every part of their solemnities, offices, and devotions, 
however sanctified, or however heavenly they may outwardly ap- 
pear. And what is wonderful, although these said builders are 
in many points at variance with each other, one pulling down 
what his neighbour is endeavouring to raise up, yet in one thing 
they are all agreed, and unanimously concur, (as Pilate and He- 
rod did, when they were made friends together on a similar oc- 
casion, Luke xxiii. 12.) and that is, in refusing to acknowledge 
Jesus Christ alone as the Head of the corner, in other words, 
as the sole God of the church, as the single and exclusive Object 
of their faith, their love, and their adoration. 

As a consolation, however, to the real church, in the midst of 
this desolation and spiritual calamity, whereby it has come to 
pass, that " not one stone of the temple is left upon anotlier" but 
the whole is demolished, we have the promise of the Lord in his 



132 A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



Word, that his temple shall be re-built, and himself acknowledge 
ed as the Head of the corner. « Therefore thus saith the Lord 
44 Jehovih, Behold, I lay in Zion, for a foundation, a Stone, a tri- 
66 ed Stone, a precious Corner-stone, a sure foundation," Isa. 
" xxviii. 16. Jehovah of hosts hath visited his flock: out of him 
" came forth the Corner-stone," Zech. x. 3, 4. This is that Stone 
" of divine truth, (i. e. the Divine Humanity of Jesus, called the 
Son,) cut out without hands, (i. e. proceeding from the divine 
good, or essential divinity, called the Father,) which smote the 
image of Nebuchadnezzar upon his feet that were of iron and 
clay, and brake them to pieces ; (i. e. which exposed and dispers- 
ed those falses of doctrine and worship, which have so long be- 
wildered and desolated the churcbj) that Stone, which after- 
wards became a great rock or mountain, and filled the whole 
earth : (i. e. which is at length acknowledged as the one only 
source of divine truth and divine good in the church, and which 
is now set up in the heart of every true believer, who confesses 
and adores his God under the form of a Divine Man.) See Dan. 
ii. 34, 35, 45 ; chap. vii. 13, 14. 

That this Stone is both Jehovah and Jesus, or Divinity and 
Humanity together, is plain from a comparison of the preceding 
and the following passages. " Sanctify Jehovah of hosts him- 
" self, and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And 
« he shall be for a sanctuary ; but for a Stone of stumbling, and 
« for a Rock of offence, to both the houses of Israel, and for a 
&i gin, and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And 
" many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken," Isa. 
viii. 13 to 15. " The Stone, which the builders rejected, the 
" same is become the Head of the corner. And whosoever shall 
« fall on this Stone, shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall 
" fall, it will grind him to powder," Matt. xxi. 42, 44. " Who 
" is God, save Jehovah ? and who is a Rock, save our God ?" 
2 Sam. xxii. 32. Ps. xviii. 31. " Jesus Christ is the Stone, 
" which was set at nought of you builders,' 1 which is become the 
" Head of the corner: neither is there salvation in any other," 
Acts iv. 11, 12. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



133 



Thus we see, that in the Old Testament Jehovah himself is 
most distinctly and expressly declared to be a Stone, and a Rock, 
of defence and salvation to the righteous, but of stumbling and 
offence to the unrighteous. The same is likewise said of Jesus 
in the New Testament, and expressed in such plain and decisive 
terms, that it is really a wonder how the builders could have 
overlooked the coincidence of language flowing so unanimously 
from the mouth of Prophets, Evangelists, and Apostles. But now 
seeing, as we do, the Scriptures in a new light, and observing the 
harmony of their testimony, when they are all referred to one 
and the same incarnate God, that is, to our Lord and Saviour 
Jesus Christ as Jehovah in the Humanity, we cannot but re- 
joice in perceiving, that the foundation of the new temple is al- 
ready laid ; that the first stone of the building, having seven eyes 
engraven upon it, Zech. iii. 9 ; chap. iv. 10, is a pledge and secu- 
rity, that the superstructure will be raised and conducted by In- 
finite Wisdom ; and that in due time the head -stone thereof shall 
be brought forth with shoutings and acclamations of joy, Zech. 
iv. 7. For we are convinced, that, notwithstanding the externa! 
splendor and glory of the former house or church, notwithstand- 
ing the pomp of it's processions, the apparent solemnity of it's 
religious ceremonies, and the honour or wealth which it may de- 
rive from any worldly institution, still " the glory of this latter 
" house will be greater than that of the former," Hag. ii. 9 ; be- 
cause he, who is " the desire of all nations," is actually come 
unto it, and will fill it with the glory of his presence for ever. 

Having now seen what is meant by the builders rejecting the 
Stone, which yet is become the Head of the corner, not indeed 
in the old temple, but in the new one, it only remains to be ob- 
served, that the great work of re -building the temple, and con- 
stituting Him for the Head of the corner, who is in truth the 
Head of the church universal, is not the fruit of human labour, 
or the result of any doctrines invented by man, but clearly, ac- 
cording to the uniform testimony of revelation, the effect of the 
divine love and the divine wisdom united. For, as the Psalmist 
observes, " Except Jehovah build the house, they labour in vain 
" that build it," Ps. cxxvii. 1. Therefore David again says, 



134 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



" Do good in thy good-pleasure unto Zion (0 God:) build thou 
66 the walls of Jerusalem," Ps. li. 18. In the supreme sense, the 
Body of Jesus, or in other words, the Divine Humanity of Je- 
hovah, is the temple so much spoken of in the Sacred Scriptures. 
It is that, to which the prophet Malachi refers, when he says, 
" The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple." 
chap. iii. 1. David had the same in view, when he said, " Je- 
" hovah is in his holy temple " Ps. xi. 4 : and likewise when 
« he sware unto Jehovah, and vowed unto the mighty God of 
" Jacob, Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, 
" nor go up into my bed ; I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or 
" slumber to mine eye-lids; until I find out a place for Jeho- 
" vah, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob. Lo, we heard 
" of it (Him*) at Ephratah ; (at Bethlehem, where Jesus was 

* The Hebrew word, or rather letter H, here and in our common English 
bibles translated it, may in this place with great propriety be rendered Him, 
because it evidently refers to the Lord: for the original will bear either a 
masculine, a feminine, or a neuter interpretation, according to the nature of 
the subject treated of. If translated Him, in such case the reference is un- 
derstood to be to the Lord as a person, who Was born in Bethlehem : and if 
translated it, the reference must then be to the divine truth discoverable in 
the Sacred Scriptures, which are the fields of the wood. In either case it 
amounts to the same thing, because the Lord as a divine person, and his 
Word as the divine truth, are ever to be identified as One. 

It may be proper to add here, (because the information is not to be found 
in the Hebrew Grammars, which were compiled long after the language was 
in it's perfection, and consequently when the reason of many of it's peculia- 
rities escaped the notice of the grammarians,) that the letter H, above men* 
tioned, is taken from the name Jah or Jehovah, and that, when interfixed or 
affixed to a word which has reference to the Lord, it denotes infinity and 
eternity, as in the representative cases of Abraham and SaraA ; see Emanuel 
Swedenborg's Arcana Calestia, n. 2010, 2063, 4594. But not only does the 
letter H, as an aspirate, when taken from the name Jehovah, involve what 
is infinite, eternal, and thus divine ; but it also, as before observed, in such 
cases admits of a masculine construction, although in general it is the sign of 
the feminine gender. This is evidently the case in that remarkable passage, 
Jer. xxxiii. 16 ; where it appears, that the city Jerusalem is to be called Je- 
hovah om Rigmtjeoussess 3 tkough in the proper and primary sense that 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



135 



born ;) we found it (Him) in the fields of the wood. We will 
« go into his tabernacles, we will worship at his footstool," Ps. 
cxxxii. 2 to 7. And when Jesus said to the Jews, " Destroy 
" this temple, and in three days I will raise it up," it is added, 
that " he spake of the temple of his body" John ii. 19 to 21. 
John also in the Apocalypse, after describing the holy city, New 
Jerusalem, as to it's dimensions, it's gates, it's walls, and it's 
foundations, says, " And I saw no temple therein : for the Lord 
" God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it" chap, 
xxi. 22. 

From all these considerations it is plain, that the Supreme God 
Jehovah, by his full and perfect union with that body, which he 
had prepared and assumed for himself, did constitute the same 
to be not only his own temple, habitation, and eternal residence^ 
but also the Corner-stone of that spiritual building his church, 
against which the gates of hell shall never prevail. Hence all 
who acknowledge and worship the Saviour himself as the in- 
carnate God, or as Jehovah visible in a Divine Human Form, 
perceiving from the Word, that the great end of Ms love, name- 
ly, the salvation and final happiness of the human race, can in 
this and in no other way be accomplished, will, from a contem- 
plation and holy admiration of the wonders of redemption.be led 
to exclaim in the language of heaven, " The Stone, which the 
<; builders rejected, the same is become the Head of the corner : 
li this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes." 



[43.] Matt. xxii. 41 to 46. " While the Pharisees were ga- 
" thered together, Jesus asked them, saying, What think ye of 
"Christ? whose Son is he ? They say unto him, The Son of 
66 David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call 
" Mm Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on 
" my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool ? If Da= 

name belongs only to our Lord and Saviour jEsrs Christ. A note on thi< 
subject will be given under article 91. 



136 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



6i vid then call him Lord, how is he his Son ? And no man was 
44 able to answer him a word ; neither durst any man from that day 
44 forth ask him any more questions." See also Mark xii. 35 to 
37. Luke xx. 41 to 44. Ps. ex. 1. 



If ever a question was proposed, calculated in an instant to 
confound the mere reasoner, the calculator of genealogies, or the 
idolizer of his own understanding, and yet at the same time to 
lead the humble mind from earthly to heavenly sentiments, this 
is that question, so unexpectedly stated by our Lord, and so mi- 
serably treated by his adversaries. The preliminary query, 
" What think ye of Christ? whose Son is he?" they knew 
well enough how to answer, because their prophets had already 
furnished them with words and expressions for the purpose. 
44 There shall come forth a Rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a 
44 Branch shall grow out of his roots ; and the spirit of Jehovah 
" shall rest upon him," Isa. xi. 1,2. 44 Behold, the days come, 
64 saith Jehovah, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, 
44 and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment 
64 and justice in the earth," Jer. xxiii. 5 ; chap, xxxiii. 15. 44 1 
44 have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto Da- 
44 vid my servant, Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build 
44 up thy throne to all generations," Ps. lxxxix. 3, 4, 35, 36. 44 Je~ 
44 hovah hath sworn in truth unto David, he will not turn from 
44 it, Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne," Ps. 
exxxii. 11. 

From these and similar passages in the Word of the Old Tes- 
tament they concluded, thajt the Messiah or Christ, whenso- 
ever he should make his appearance in the world, would be of 
the house and family of David, and lineally descended from him. 
They therefore found no difficulty in replying to that part of our 
Lord's inquiry, and immediately gave him for answer, that 
Christ is the Son of David. But when he appealed to the book 
of Psalms, where David himself writes, 44 Jehovah said unto my 
u Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies 
44 thy footstool," ex. 1, and required of them an explanation how 
Christ could be the Son of David, and yet at the same time 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



137 



David's Lord 5 having no conception how these two distinct 
characters could meet in one person, or on what principle it was 
that David's Son should be also calle [ d David's Lord, (which 
even in their view, who acknowledged no earthly king superior 
to David, must have been the same thing as calling him Lord of 
the universe,) they were utterly confounded by the question, and 
virtually confessed their total ignorance of the subject by their 
silence. Not one of them was able to answer him a word : but 
perhaps suspecting^ that, if further discussion were to take place, 
they would themselves be plainly convicted of wilful perversion 
or misinterpretation of those passages, which refer to the Mes- 
siah ; and being unwilling, as their descendants at this day like- 
wise are, to acknowledge him in any other character than that of 
a mere man ; they Were disposed to wave the subject, and still 
remain in their infidelity. 

We have already, in a preceding article, (No* 33,) so fully 
explained the distinction between David's Son and David's 
Lord, or between the infirm humanity of Jesus, which lie re- 
ceived from the mother, and the Divine Humanity derived from 
the Father Jehovah, that it would be an unnecessary waste of 
time to repeat all that was there advanced. We shall therefore 
only observe in this place* that as to his maternal humanity he 
was truly the descendant of David ; but as to his Paternal Hu- 
manity he was neither the Son of David nor of Mary, but Of Je- 
hovah alone. In the former respect he is called the Son of Da- 
vid, but in the latter respect the Son of God. And as he was 
continually in the effort of putting off the one, that he might be 
wholly and solely in the other, therefore we find, that he never 
acknowledged himself to be the Son of Mary, and, in the pas- 
sage now under consideration, that he indirectly refuses to be 
called the Son of David. 

For what purpose could these distinctions be so repeatedly and. 
so plainly held up to view in the Sacred Scriptures* if they were 
never to be understood, and thereby to form the very basis of a 
rational faith ? Revelation points the way* and we humbly follow 
it's light by the free exercise of those faculties, which our God 
has seen fit to implant within us. May they ever be directed to 

S 



158 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



his honour, to the exaltation of his name, and to the enlargement 
of his kingdom ! 

Nothing can be more evident, than that the Lord was perfectly 
aware of the two distinct points of view, under which his Huma- 
nity was capable of being seen 5 and of the extreme difficulty, 
which the natural man has to encounter, when he attempts 
to form a judgment of divine things from the testimony of his 
bodily senses alone, or from the mere science and light of this 
world. He knew that the Messiah was expected by the Jewish 
nation, and that they regarded him as the descendant of David, 
because the Scriptures in some parts, and their own traditions in 
general, had so described him. He knew also, that the same 
Scriptures in other parts had represented the expected C hrist as 
of higher descent than that of mere humanity, and that David 
himself must bow down to him as to his omnipotent Lori>. But 
perceiving that the Jews were then, and that Christians would be 
in future times, more disposed to abide in those external views of 
the Messiah, which present him as a mere man like themselves, 
than to embrace the more elevated ideas suggested by the inter- 
nal sense of the Word ; and being also willing to lead them, in a 
way best adapted to their states of mind, to a more interior con- 
sideration of the subject ; the Lord proposed a theological ques- 
tion from their own records, which, if fairly, honestly, and ma- 
turely examined, can receive no other rational solution, than that 
which we have already submitted to the candid and judicious 
reader. Yet whether from a sense of their complete ignorance 
of the subject, (as before observed.) or from a secret dislike to 
the tendency of the question, which was evidently to correct their 
mistaken notions of the real character and dignity of the Mes- 
siah or Christ, we find that the Pharisees of old were speech- 
less on the occasion, and totally unable to answer him a word. 

But will the Pharisees of modern times be content to submit 
to tire silence imposed upon their cavilling predecessors ? Or will 
they indeed admit, that the Lord, while on earth, sustained a 
two-fold character, the one as BavicPs Son, the other as David's 
Lord ? and that the first arose from his state of humiliation, in- 
firmity, and mere humanity ; the other from his state of glorifi- 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



139 



cation, omnipotence, and pure divinity ? If they will assent to 
this proposition, they may then comprehend, in a rational man- 
ner, how and why it was, that to the bulk of the Jewish nation, 
immersed as they were in the sensualities of life, and contemptu- 
ously ignorant even of the existence of a spiritual state, the Lord 
was known only as an obscure individual, with no other traits of 
a character superior to that of others, than such as are usually 
found in men of peaceable and pious deportment. They may also 
perceive the reason why, on certain occasions, and in "the pre- 
sence of certain individuals, he assumed a divine air and autho- 
rity plainly inconsistent with any condition of mere humanity, 
and alone reconcileable to that high and holy character of Su- 
preme Sovereignty, to which neither angel nor man can dare to 
aspire, without incurring the united penalties, as well as the ac- 
cumulated guilt, of extreme impiety, profanation, blasphemy, ar- 
rogance, and unpardonable presumption. 

Thus keeping distinctly in view those two states, and charac- 
ters of life, which the Lord was pleased to assume, and alter- 
nately exhibit to man, according to the dictates of his own inscru- 
table wisdom, the great difficulties respecting his person, his ge- 
nealogy and descent, his temptations, glorification, resurrection, 
and ascension, which press upon the mind of a superficial and in- 
attentive obserVer, may be completely removed, and the most sa- 
tisfactory evidence obtained in favour of his exclusive and total 
divinity. 



[44.] Matt, xxiii. 34. " Behold, 2" send unto you prophets? 

and wise men, and scribes ; and some of them ye shall kill and 
" crucify, and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, 
" and persecute from city to city." 

Recollect, reader, who it is that speaks in this style of autho- 
rity, who it is that claims to himself the privilege and the power 
of raising up, commissioning, and sending into the world, pro- 
phets, wise men, and scribes, at his own good pleasure ; and at 



140 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



the same time foresees, that they will be persecuted, scourged, 
crucified, and killed, in contempt of him and his doctrine. It is 
no other than Jesus, who yet is degraded, by some who profess 
to be his disciples, to the rank of a mere prophet himself ; not 
perceiving, that he who sends prophets, must also inspire them 
with his own wisdom, and thereby constitute them what they are 5 
which is the very character and exclusive prerogative of the Su- : 
preme God, 

Every true prophet of the Old Testament uniformly acknow- 
ledges, that his mission and authority are solely derived from 
Jehovah 5 and, on the other hand, Jehovah acknowledges them 
as his servants. " Surely the Lord Jekovih will do nothing, 
44 but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets ," Amos, 
lii. 7. 44 I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young 
" men for Nazarites : is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel, 
^ saith Jehovah," Amos ii. 11. And again, Jehovah our God 
hath said, 44 Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no 
" harm," Ps. cv. 15. 

To multiply passages to the same effect, cannot be required ; 
because it will scarcely be denied, that a divine message, like that 
of prophecy, must have a Divine Author. But in this case Jesus 
thinks it no arrogance to be equal with God 5 for he also sends 
prophets, and wise men, and scribes. Nay, what is more, he com- 
missions even angels to perform the great purposes of his will, 
not in one part of the earth only, but in all nations, and in all 
places throughout the universe. 44 The Son of Man shall send 
44 his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall ga» 
44 ther together his elect from the four winds, from one end ofhea- 
i6 ven to the other " Matt. xxiv. 31. Mark xiii. 2T. Again, " I 
«' Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in 
44 the churches" Apoc. xxii. 16. And that no man might fail to 
identify Jesus with the Supreme God himself, that is, to consid- 
er him as actually and personally that very Being, though in a 
human form, it is written in the same chapter, 44 The Lord God 
44 of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants 
44 the things which must shortly be done," ver. 6\ 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 141 



Thus, by comparing one Scripture with another, and viewing 
them in heavenly light, according to the true intent and meaning 
of their Author, that great truth, the identity of Jesus with Je- 
hovah, like the sun itself in a firmament variegated with lucid 
and shady clouds, 6 ever and anon' darts it's effulgence on the 
eye of the observer ; then for a short moment withdrawing it's 
direct beams, it again and again breaks out with renewed and in- 
creased lustre; until the whole heaven above, and the whole 
earth below, are filled with it's unequalled and uninterrupted 
glory. 



[45.] Matt. xxiv. 35. " Heaven and earth shall pass away, 
" but my words shall not pass away" See also Mark xiii. 31- 
Luke xxi. 33. 



Before we enter upon this extraordinary passage, let us for a 
moment indulge a thought concerning the Great Personage, who 
uttered such divine language. Is he a Man ? or is he a God ? 
What is the character here assumed ? and how was it sustained ?» 
Let us pursue the subject: it will enlighten, it will bless us with 

the knowledge of him, whose name is above all estimate. But 

alas ! he is not believed ; his words are rejected, himself is 
despised ! 

Not only did the Jews seek to kill Jesus, because he declared, 
" that God was his Father, thus making himself equal with God" 
John v. 18; but when they heard him say expressly, " land my 
6t Father are One" John x. 30, they immediately took up stones 
to stone him for what they conceived to be no less than blas- 
phemy: and this, said they, we do, " because that thou, being a 
" Man, makest thyself God" ver. 33. Here is the charge ; That 
Jesus, being, as they thought, a mere man, yet laid in his claim 
to be reputed God. But this is not all that is involved in the ac- 
cusation : a more interior, and a more extraordinary process is 
also alluded to, (not indeed by the Jews themselves, but by the 
Holy Spirit which dictated the language of the Evangelist,) 



142 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



namely, the actual glorification of his person, which is the same 
thing as the unition or identification of himself with Jehovah 
the Father 5 and this is plainly expressed in the very terms of 
the charge brought against him : 44 We stone thee, because that 
* 4 thou, being a Man, makest thyself God." 

Never did a more sublime truth strike the ear, or enter the 
imagination : it is the very hinge, or central point, on which 
turns and rests the whole of the Christian revelation. He, who 
was God, became Man ; and he, who was Man, made himself 
God! Hence, though the sentiment appears to have proceeded 
from the enemies of Jesus, in the form of an accusation against 
him, to which indeed all his divine words and works were equal- 
ly exposed, he neither attempted to deny nor to extenuate the 
charge : but on the contrary admitted it in it's full force, and, af- 
ter reasoning with the Jews on the subject in the way of explana- 
tion, he actually confirmed it by reference to his divine works, 
which he also calls the works of his Father : 44 If I do not the 
64 works of my Father, believe me not : but if I do, though ye 
4,4 believe not me, believe the works ; that ye may know and be- 
44 lieve, that the Father is in me, and I in him," John x. 37, 38. 
This union of the Father with Jesus, or of the Divinity with 
the Humanity, is what is meant by God becoming Man ; as, on 
the other hand, the reciprocal union of Jesus with the Father, 
or of the Humanity with the Divinity, is what is meant by Jesus 
making himself God. 

Reflections like these, though not immediately arising out of 
the passage first read, yet, by a legitimate kind of association of 
ideas, naturally engage the mind, and summon it's whole atten- 
tion, when we hear a Man distinctly and solemnly pronounce, 
44 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass 
64 away" 

Without entering into explanations, which to some minds might 
be difficult of comprehension, let us yield to the impression so fa- 
vourably and so forcibly given. Can human imagination con- 
ceive a sentiment more truly grand, awful, and sublime ? Who, 
what, where is the Being in the shape of Humanity, that, stand- 
ing with his foot on the earth, and lifting up his hands and his 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



145 



eves to the heaven of heavens, can thus authoritatively utter the 
decrees of Omnipotence, and cause the very breath of his mouth 
to pervade and (were it necessary) to dissipate a universe?.'! 
******* It is the Son of Man ! In that adorable character he 
now stands 44 in the midst of seven golden candlesticks, clothed 
44 with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps wit!? 
44 a golden girdle. His head and his hairs are white like wool. 
44 as white as snow ; and his eyes are as a flame of fire ; and his 
44 feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace ; and 
44 his voice as the sound of many waters. And he has in h\< 
44 right hand seven stars : and out of his mouth proceedeth a 
44 sharp two-edged sword : and his countenance is as the sun 
44 shining in his strength," Apoc. i. 12 to 16. See also chap. xix„ 
11 to 16. ******* Now he sits upon his throne as the An- 
cient of days ! 44 His garment is white as snow, and the hair 
44 of his head (as before) like pure wool : his throne is like the 
44 fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream is- 
44 sues, and comes forth from before him : thousand thousands 
" minister unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stand 
44 before him," Dan. vii. 9, 10. ******* Still as a Divine 
Man, and as the same Divine Man, he continues seated on a 
high and lofty throne far 44 above the firmament. And I see as 
44 the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about 
44 within him : from the appearance of his loins even upward, 
44 and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I see as 
44 it were the appearance of fire, and it has brightness round 
44 about. This is the appearance of the likeness of the Glory of 
« Jehovah," Ezek. i. 26 to 28. Exod. xxiv. 10, 11. ****** * 
At the sight and presence of such a Being, who can refrain from 
falling down at his feet in self-annihilation, until, raising us with 
his right hand, he says, 44 Fear not; I am the First and the Last; 
44 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, who is, 
44 who was, and who is to come, the Almighty. I am he that 
44 liveth, and was dead (rejected and denied ;) and behold, I am 
* 4 alive for evermore : Amen." Apoc. i. 8, 11, IT, 18. 

This then is the Man, this the Almighty God himself, who 
proclaims with the loud voice of revelation r that his words are 



144 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



really and truly « spirit and life," John vi. 63 ; that they alone 
are the root and origin of all existence, intelligent or non -intelli- 
gent, animate or inanimate, spiritual or material; and conse- 
quently that in themselves they are more permanent and durable 
than the pillars of creation. Of him speaks the Psalmist, when 
he says, " By the word of Jehovah were the heavens made; 
" and all the host of them by the breath of his month. The 
" counsel of Jehovah standeth /or ever, the thoughts of his heart 
66 to all generations," Ps. xxxiii. 6, 11. " Of old hast thou laid 
" the foundations of the earth ; and the heavens are the work of 
" thy hands. They all perish, but thou shalt endure : yea, all of 
" them shall wax old like a garment ; as a vesture shalt thou 
" change them, and they shall be changed. But thou art the 
" same, and thy years shall have no end," Ps. cii. 25 to 27. " All 
" his commandments are sure: they stand fast for ever and ever," 
Ps. cxi. 7, 8. For ever, O Jehovah, thy word is settled in hea- 
" ven. Thy word is true from the beginning : and every one of 
» 4 thy righteous judgments endureth for ever," Ps. cxix. 89, 
" 160. Thou hast made a decree, which shall not pass," Ps. 
cxlviii. 6. I will worship towards thy holy temple, and praise 
" thy name, for thy loving-kindness, and for thy truth : for thou 
" hast magnified thy Word above all thy name," Ps. cxxxviii. 2. 

Such is the Word of Jehovah, and such also is the Word of 
Jesus : both are alike the divine truth ; both equally omnipotent, 
and equally eternal. Of Jehovah it is said, that by the word or 
breath of his mouth were the heavens and all the host of them 
made ; that his counsel, his judgments, and decrees, as well as 
himself, are everlasting ; while the foundations of the earth, and 
even the heavens themselves, from the highest to the lowest, as 
finite forms, depending every moment on their Creator for a 
continued renewal of their existence, are in themselves mutable, 
transient, and perishable, being permanent only so far as they 
are from instant to instant upheld by a divine power. Of Jesus 
it is also written, that the words proceeding from his lips are es- 
sential life, in their own nature imperishable, and therefore, like 
himself and every thing that bears the character of Divinity, in- 
finitely and eternally the same. Hence, as there can be only 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &fc. 145 

One Immutable, One Eternal, and One Infinite Being, from whom 
proceeded, and ever will proceed, all that is permanently sub- 
stantial, holy, and divine, we conclude, that Jesus and Jehovah, 
united as they are in One Person, the Human Essence with the 
Divine, and the Divine Essence with the Human, together 
constitute the One Immortal* Unchangeable, and Self-Existent 
God 



[46.] Matt, xxviii. 9» " As they went to tell his disciples* 
u behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came, and 
s .< held him by the feet, and worshipped him." See also ver. lr* 
Luke xxiv. 52. 



Various are the instances recorded in the Gospel, in which Je- 
sus was approached by his followers in the way of direct wor- 
ship; and in no case whatever did he refuse to receive their ado- 
rations, or even give the most distant hint, that they were misap- 
plied, or improperly directed. On the contrary, he appears to 
have admitted them with complacency and perfect approbation. 
Would this have been the case, nay, could the divine jealousy 
have suffered such a practice to have been repeated more thtm 
once, if Jesus sustained no higher character than that of a mere 
man, a mere prophet) or a mere creature of any rank in the scale 
of intelligence ? 

It is related in the Acts of the Apostles, that, when divine ho« 
nours were offered by the multitude to king Herod, and he ap- 
peared willing to receive them* " immediately the angel of the 
u Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory : and he 
" was eaten of worms* and gave up the spirit," chap. xii. 23. We 
are not at liberty to presume* that any being inferior to* or other 
than, the Supreme God himself, is entitled to that highest species 
of veneration, which is called religious adoration ; or that any 
messenger, priest, or prophet* acting under a divine commission 
with faithfulness and integrity, would willingly suffer to be as- 
cribed to him what he knew belonged only to the God whom he 

T 



146 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



served. Nor can we believe, that any angel in heaven would ac- 
cept of such incense, were it even offered in ignorance, as on cer- 
tain occasions it was offered by the Apostle John, but would in- 
stantly reject it with horror, and piously refer it to it's true and 
proper Object. Yet, as we have already observed under the arti- 
cles 3, 8, 14, 30, and elsewhere, Jesus, even while in the infirm 
humanity, received and distinctly approved of the prayers, 
praises, and adorations, which were repeatedly directed to him. 
How much more then is he now entitled to all the honours of di- 
vine worship, seeing that since his resurrection from the dead, 
that is, from every thing material, or subject to mortality, and 
his consequent ascension into heaven, he is entirely divested of 
the infirm body of flesh and blood, in which he was conversant 
while in the world, and instead of that is possessed of a form 
truly human indeed, but at the same time perfectly divine.' If his 
former state of humiliation on earth was no bar to his disciples, 
or others, prostrating themselves before him in prayer and adora- 
tion ; still less is his present state of glorification in heaven. 
And again, still more, if possible, will his divine form, now as- 
cended above all heavens, and filling all things with it's presence, 
engage the admiration both of angels and men, while in hymns 
and songs of lasting praise they celebrate and adore the ever- 
increasing wonders of his love. 

In the Gospel by Matthew we read of seven instances of wor- 
ship, expressly so called, directed to, and received by, Jesus ; 
besides the cases of other persons, of whom it is related, that 
they either kneeled down to him, or fell at his feet, or embraced 
his knees, which may all in like manner be considered as acts of 
adoration or worship. Similar examples are to be met with in 
each of the other Gospels, as well as in the Apocalypse. But we 
must not forget to mention the memorable case of Thomas, who. 
having been incredulous with respect to the actual resurrection of 
his Divine Master, and being at last convinced of it's reality by 
ocular and sensible proof, exclaimed with all the fervency of de- 
vout worship, and the zeal of an enlightened faith, " My Lord 
a and my God!" John xx. 28. It is to testimony like this, ap- 
proved and sanctioned by the Lord himself, that we are indebted 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, Sec. 



147 



for those many irresistible arguments in favour of his divinity, 
which, while they confound and close the month of the adversa- 
ry, inspire his worshippers with new confidence in the truth 
which they have embraced, with increasing love also to his per- 
son, his Word and ways, and with a filial, unfeigned devotion to 
his sacred service. 

It is plain, then, from the various cases and circumstances 
above referred to, that our Lord both before and after his resur- 
rection permitted his followers to fall down at his feet, and in that 
posture to offer him the adoration of the heart, as well as of the 
lips. And further, it is equally evident, that he regarded all such 
acts of religious worship with entire approbation ; either granting 
to the individual so worshipping the object of his prayer, saying, 
" Be it unto thee, according to thy faith," as in Matt. viii. 13 5 
chap. ix. 29 ; chap. xv. 28 ; or else pouring into the troubled 
mind the sweet balm of consolation in these following words, 
" Peace be unto you ; be not afraid ; I am the Almighty ; I am 
« the First and the Last," as in Luke xxiv. 36. John xx. 19, 26, 
Matt, xxviii. 10, 18. Apoc. i. 17. And when we bring into view, 
among many other considerations of similar tendency, that most 
important precept of the divine law, which our Lord himself also 
quotes with such powerful effect, " Thou shalt worship the Lord 
" thy God, and him only shalt thou serve," Matt. iv. 10 5 how 
can we resist the mass of evidence that bears down upon us, or 
how refrain from acknowledging, that He Himself is that very 
Lord God Almighty, to whom alone he refers, and to whom 
alone is due, both from angels in heaven, and from men upon 
earth, all honour, ail glory, and all worship ! 

With angels, therefore, we will for ever join our voices, and 
exclaim aloud, " Worthy is the Lamb, (worthy is Jesus,) that 
" was slain, to receive power,and riches, and wisdom, and strength, 
6i and honour, and glory, and blessing." And with the countless 
myriads that surround his throne, let " every creature which is in 
" (the remotest parts of ) heaven, and on the earth, and under 
" the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them," 
again and again repeat the high-sounding glorification, which once 
begun can never cease, until the whole creation shout, " Blessing, 



148 A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 

44 and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitcetu 
? 4 upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever," Apoe, 
V ? 3.2, IS. 



F47.] Matt, xxviii. 18. 44 And Jesus came, and spake unto 
* 4 them, saying, Ml power is given unto me in heaven and in 
« eavth." 



It is an extraordinary fact, which we have frequently observed, 
that, whenever a Unitarian, or a confirmed Trinitarian, finds 
himself compelled to notice this passage, it is with a kind of re- 
luctance that he submits either to read it himself, or to hear 
it read by another : for as to their being volunteers in bringing it 
forward to establish the sole omnipotence of Jesus, that is entirely 
out of the question. Neither of them acknowledges him as ac- 
tually possessed of this divine omnipotence, although it is most 
expressly so asserted. 

The Trinitarian, who by his doctrine attaches a portion of dii 
yinity to Jesus, refuses to give him the whole sum. because he re- 
serves for two other divine persons their respective shares. And 
thus he betrays the nullity of his faith, by dividing among three, 
what exclusively belongs to one. For it is impossible to parcel 
put the divine attributes into three separate lots, giving a portion 
to one person, and a portion to another, till the whole is disposed 
of, without depriving every one of the persons so dealt with of 
some perfection necessary to the integrity of the divine nature : 
and therefore the partition of the Godhead into three divine per- 
son as they are profanely called, is no less than a robbery of 
them all. followed up with the crime of spiritual Beicide. 

The Unitarian, on the other hand, professedly ascribes omni- 
potence to one God alone, whom he calls the Father, or Creator 
of the universe : and although he reads, that it was absolutely 
given or transferred to Jesus, yet he will not allow the possibili- 
tv of it's being vested in, or exercised by him in any respect as 
his own, but only by a kind of delegation cr temporary loan, du- 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 149 



ring the pleasure of another, from whom it is derived ; not per- 
ceiving, that it is as great an absurdity to suppose, that the divine 
omnipotence can be delegated or lent to a mere man, as to believe, 
that it can be given or transferred to him 5 both suppositions be- 
ing equally and alike impossible. And thus, instead of admit- 
ting the great fact, as declared in the passage, that Jesus is in 
the actual possession of divine omnipotence, he cavils about the 
meaning of the word given, and asserts, that he could not receive 
omnipotence as a gift, unless there were another superior Being, 
namely, the Father, who gave it 5 and if so, still Jesus could not 
be God, notwithstanding he is said to be omnipotent. 

It is by this fallacious and sophistical way of reasoning, that 
the Unitarian endeavours to destroy the divinity of Jesus, and 
together with it the truth of the proposition, That all power is 
given unto him both in heaven and in earth 5 contending, that he 
who gave such power, and not he who received it, must be the one 
true God. 

But, in opposition to this, it may be observed, that, if the Fa- 
ther be indeed a distinct person from the Son, or from Jesus, 
and if he have actually given or transferred to him all his divine 
power, then the Father is himself no longer the God of heaven 
and earth, being no longer possessed of that distinguishing attri- 
bute, which characterizes Deity, and without which no being can 
justly be considered as God. Allowing, then, the Unitarian the 
very point, for which he contends, namely, that the Father gave 
to Jesus, or that Jesus received from the Father, the gift of om- 
nipotence, how heavy does the absurdity fall upon him and his 
system ! He first unmakes a Deity, by supposing that the Father 
transferred or resigned all his power : he then for a moment 
deifies a mere man, by admitting that Jesus received into him- 
self the omnipotence so unaccountably transferred : and yet, in 
defiance of both these concessions, he perseveres in maintaining 
his old ground, that the Father still remains the omnipotent God, 
as before, and that Jesus in like manner also still remains a mere 
man, as before ! ! ! 

Such is the kind of argument, and such the consequence of the 
the mode of reasoning, adopted by Unitarians, to overturn the di- 



150 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



rect testimony of the Word itself, where it seems to militate 
against their pre-conceived opinions concerning the mere huma- 
nity of Jesus. But what else can be expected from setting up the 
imperfect understanding of finite man, in opposition to the di- 
vine wisdom of that infinite God, who by his Holy Spirit dictat- 
ed both the sentiments and the terms of inspiration ? When re- 
velation asserts, it is not for man to deny, merely because his own 
puisne intellect has not as yet been enlightened with the beams 
of heavenly light : but it is his duty to exercise with humility 
the talents already bestowed upon him ; and where he cannot 
clearly discern the consistency of any particular proposition con- 
tained in the Sacred Pages, it is both wiser and safer for him to 
suspect his own abilities, or powers of comprehension, than has- 
tily to conclude against a doctrine plainly and repeatedly incul- 
cated by them, which, though at present involved in doubt and 
obscurity, many possibly hereafter be most satisfactorily explain- 
ed. Of this nature is the doctrine of our Lord's omnipotence, 
as acquired or received by him from the Father, apparently as 
from another Being out of him, but in reality from his own di- 
vine essence within him, which in the language of the New Tes- 
tament is generally termed the Father, because it is the fountain 
and source of all life. This appearance of having received it 
from another, together with the declaration that it was a gift to 
him, may at first sight a little embarrass the mind of a sincere 
inquirer after the truth ; but will not eventually lead him astray, 
if he candidly attend to the following considerations. 

It is admitted, and must be perpetually kept in view, that there 
is, and can be, only One God. It is also to be observed as an 
eternal truth, or an inviolable law of divine order, that this One 
God cannot produce another God like unto himself ; that he can- 
not divest himself of his divine attributes, by transferring them 
to another being ; and moreover that no other being besides himself 
can, or ever could, receive, contain, or exercise, any one of such 
attributes, even were the gift or transfer (for argument's sake) 
allowed to be in contemplation. In agreement with these great 
truths thus speaks the Eternal God himself: "lam Jehovah, 
" that is my name, and my glory ivill I not give to another" Isa f 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



151 



xlii. 8 ; chap, xlviii. 11. " Before me there was no God formed, 
" neither shall there be after me," Isa. xliii. 10. 

Since then the Supreme God in his own nature cannot, and by 
his divine purpose will not, give or transfer his glory to any 
other being either in heaven or on earth, and thereby set up an- 
other God in the room of himself, or in conjunction with himself, 
how are we to understand, consistently with the preceding de- 
clarations, our Lord's own words to his disciples, when he says, 
that divine omnipotence was given to, or vested in him ? Surely 
in no other possible way, than by considering the glorified Hu- 
manity of Jesus as the very form or body of the Divinity ; which 
form or body, being intimately, wholly, and perfectly united with 
the divine essence as a soul within it, may therefore truly be 
said to have received all it's powers, attributes, and perfections, 
not from any source exterior to itself, but from the pure Divinity 
within it's own bosom, which may also be considered as the soul 
of the Humanity. And as the soul of a man may be said to give 
to the body all it's powers, yet without implying that the giver is 
a person or being distinct from the receiver ; so the pure Divini- 
ty, called the Father, may in like manner be said to have given 
to the Humanity, called the Son, the divine attribute of omnipo- 
tence, yet without in the least implying, that the giver and re- 
ceiver were different persons in this case, any more than in the 
former. 

The Unitarian, we know, will not admit of this kind of reason- 
ing, in reference to Jesus and the Father ; although he cannot 
deny it's application to the soul and body of man. And perhaps 
the Trinitarian will be ready, on this occasion, to concur with his 
old adversary the Unitarian, jointly to oppose the new doctrine, 
"here advanced, of the sole, supreme, and exclusive divinity of our. 
blessed Saviour. But can either of them offer a more consistent 
explanation ? one that shall accord with the indivisibility or 
unity of the Supreme Being, and at the same time with the de- 
claration of Jesus, that all power was given unto him both iit 
heaven and in earth ? If they cannot, let silence rest upon tlieir 
tongues, till he, who can alone give an understanding to discern, 
and a mouth to confess his glory, shall in mercy reveal himself 



152 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



to them, and open his Word in their hearts. At present they do 
not acknowledge the Divinity of his Humanity, but regard him 
as they would another man : and this, notwithstanding the many 
declarations and proofs to be found in the Sacred Scriptures, that 
he was actually possessed of such powers and perfections, as no 
other man ever did, or by any possibility ever can, possess : of 
powers sufficient to save a sinking world; and of perfections 
worthy to engage the admiration and the love, not of an age or a 
nation only, but of an universe, of men and angels in all succeed- 
ing periods of their existence. 

In a former part of this volume, under article 19, we had occa- 
sion to explain a passage similar to that, which we have just been 
considering. In Matt xi. 27, Jesus says, « Ml things are deli-- 
* 6 vered unto me of my Father:" and in Matt, xxviii. 18, " Ml 
" power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." In each place 
the same doctrine is inculcated, as it is also in the following : 
" The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his 
" hand," John iii. 35. Jesus saith, " All things that the Father 
" hath, are mine" John xvi. 15. And again, " TJiou hast given 
" him (the Son) power over all flesh" John xvii. 2. " For as the 
" Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have 
<; life in himself" John v. £6. The same rule of interpretation, 
which applies to one passage, equally applies to all the rest: and 
nothing can be plainer and more satisfactory, than the conclusion, 
which we now draw from their concurrent testimony, viz. That 
Jesus, as the Son, the Divine Form, or the Divine Humanity, 
possesses in himself all the characters, powers, and perfections 
of the ever-living Father, that is, of the Divine Essence, or the 
pure Divinity ; and consequently that, as the invisible soul and 
the visible body constitute one man, so the invisible Father and 
the visible Son, or the Essential Divinity and the Divine Huma- 
nity, united in the person of our ever-blessed and ever-adorable 
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, constitute the One Supreme, 
Eternal, and Omnipotent God. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 153 



[48.] Matt, xxviii. 19, 20. « Go ye therefore and teach all 
i4 nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the 
" Son, and of the Holy Spirit ; teaching them to observe all 
" things whatsoever J have commanded you : and lo, I am with 
" you alway even unto the end of the world? 9 or rather, in agree- 
ment with the original, " until the consummation of the age.' 9 

These last words of our Lord to his disciples, after his resur- 
rection, and just previous to his ascension into heaven, contain, 
as might well be expected from the lips of him, who is Wisdom 
itself, the very essence of Christianity, so far as respects faith in 
it's Founder, as the alone God of the church, obedience to his 
will, and a vital acknowledgment of his divine omnipresence. 
Were there no other passage in the Scriptures of truth, from 
which we might deduce the doctrine of a divine trinity, this 
would amply suffice : for nothing can be more self-evident, than 
that distinct mention is made of three, the Father, the Son, and 
the Holy Spirit ; which trine having reference to the authority, 
under which the apostles and their successors in all ages of the 
church were appointed to teach and baptize, and such authority 
being no less than a divine authority, it follows, that the trinity 
here held up to view is at the same time also a divine trinity. 

But how is this trinity to be understood ? Is it a trinity of 
persons, as distinct from each other, as the names are distinct ? 
Why then was it not so expressed at least once in the whole 
course of the volume of revelation ? No \ the idea, the term was 
inadmissible, on account of it's too strong tendency to generate 
in the human mind the picture of a Trinity of Gods. Instead 
then of a trinity of persons, which must ever be identified with a 
trinity of Gods, it could be no other than a trinity of essentials in 
one person, and that indeed his own person, to which Jesus refer- 
red, when he said, " Go, and teach all nations, baptizing them in 
" the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spi- 
" rit ; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have com- 
" manded you; and lo ! I am with you alway, even unto the con- 
H summation of the age." But, independent of these considera- 
tions, the very passage plainly resolves itself into unity of person, 

U 



154 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



and points at the Saviour alone as the great Legislator, whose 
laws are to be observed, and whose presence was to be continued 
in the Christian church, not indeed for ever, but only until the 
consummation of the age, that is, until the end of the church, when 
he would no longer be acknowledged by Christians, improperly 
so called, and consequently when he would depart from them, to 
take up his final and everlasting abode with those who should 
constitute his new and true Christian church, by setting up Him 
alone as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and thus as 
the all of Deity in one visible and glorified person. 

When our Lord charges his disciples to teach mankind to ob- 
serve all things, which he had given in commandment to them, 
he evidently declares himself to be their Legislator: and ill other 
places he is represented as their Judge, their King, and their Sa~ 
viour. Yet all these characters are expressly those of the great 
Jehovah himself, who is thus described by the prophet: " Je- 
^ hovak is our Judge, Jehovah is our Law-giver, Jehovah is 
" our King, he will save ws," Isa. xxxiii. 22. Is it possible seri- 
ously to believe, that Jesus would assume to himself, so repeat- 
edly as he has done in the New Testament, titles, characters, 
and prerogatives, which can only belong to the Supreme God, 
and yet himself be a mere man, a creature of yesterday, account- 
able to that very God, whom he so presumptuously robs of his di- 
vine sovereignty ? The consequences of adopting such a prepos- 
terous faith certainly cannot be foreseen by those, who suffer 
themselves to be misled by the mere appearances of truth in the 
literal sense of the Word ; or, as men of sound understanding, 
they would instantly reject it. But we know, that a complete 
change of religious sentiment is not to be expected in any indivi- 
dual, without long and deliberate investigation : and if a state of 
doubt or suspense, the first effect of the sincere love of truth with 
him who is still in error, can by any means be induced on his 
mind, great hopes may be entertained, that further light will gra- 
dually lead him on to full conviction, especially if in his progress 
he directs a prayer for illumination to him, who is the God of the 
"^Vord, who is also the Word itself made flesh, and the true light. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



155 



which lighteth every man that cometh into the world, John i. 1, 
4, 9, 14. 

Unitarians and Trinitarians are both ready enough to admit, 
that the apostles and immediate disciples of Jesus knew their 
Master's will and doctrine better than their successors in remote 
ages. Upon their own admission then it is plain, that the prac- 
tice of the disciples, in baptizing in the name of Jesus only, as 
recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, is something more than 
presumptive evidence, that they considered the entire Divinity to 
be lodged in his person : for when he directed them to baptize in 
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, 
they immediately went and baptized in his name only; never 
dreaming that they were called upon to make any such distinc- 
tion into persons, as was afterwards invented, but simply to di- 
rect their thoughts, their hearts, and their worship, to the single 
person of Jesus alone. The example, therefore, of the primitive 
disciples, compared with the passage before us, makes equally 
against both Unitarians and Trinitarians ; against the former in 
their refusing to ascribe any portion of divinity to Jesus, al- 
though it is manifest that lie claimed it to himself, when he as- 
serted his omnipresence in the church 5 and against the latter in 
their setting up two other imaginary persons in competition with 
Jesus, when yet it is equally evident, that the attribute of omni- 
presence cannot by any possibility be divided among three, or 
in any respect whatever become the joint property of more than 
one. 

He, who is possessed of any one of the divine attributes, must 
in the nature of things be possessed of them all in the same mo- 
ment : for such is the intimate and eternal union of all the per- 
fections of Deity, that, though in idea we may contemplate them 
severally and distinctly, yet they can never be actually separated 
the one from the other. This truth of necessity results from the 
nature of infinity. Each of the divine attributes may be regard- 
ed as entering mutually and reciprocally into the other 5 and all 
together are so arranged and identified as one in essence, and 
one in form, that wheresoever in the Sacred Scriptures we meet 
with any one of the names of Deity, or read of any one of the 



156 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



divine qualities, there must the whole God, by virtue of his in- 
finite unity, be considered as completely present, though, in mer- 
ciful accommodation to human weakness, his characters, qualities, 
and perfections, are distinctly and separately presented to oui 
view. 

From these premises, then, we may justly and truly infer, that, 
as in the New Testament some one or more of the divine attri- 
butes is repeatedly and expressly ascribed to Jesus, and not un- 
frequently all of them united together, so in each case we arc 
equally authorized to regard him as the One Supreme God, with 
whom we dare not associate any other, and besides whom there 
cannot possibly exist any other. For simple Divinity is the same 
thing as sole, supreme, and exclusive Divinity ; and to whomso- 
ever the former attaches in any degree whatever, with the same 
must abide the latter ; since Deity and fulness of Betty must 
ever be regarded as terms of equal or synonymous import. 

Having already published a small pamphlet, entitled, Reflec^ 
Hons on the Unitarian and Trinitarian Doctrines, pointing out 
the Errors of both, &c. wherein the passage of Matthew's Gos- 
pel now under consideration is particularly discussed, we may 
perhaps be allowed to give the following extract from it, p. 19, 
20, &c. " A more sublime truth never escaped the lips of man, 
than a declaration of the identity of Jesus with the Father, the Son, 

and the Holy Spirit. " Go, (says our Lord,) " and baptize 

s< all nations in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the 
" Holy Spirit ; and lo ! I am with you alway even unto the end of 
" the world :" which is as much as to say, that he himself was 
all that was meant by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, 
in whose name they were to baptize. For surely, had he been ft 
mere man, or a being perfectly distinct from either the Father or 
the Holy Spirit, he would never have given them to understand, 
that his own presence should become a source of consolation and 
support to them in the performance of their duty ; but rather he 
would have assured them, that the Great God, in whose name 
they were to baptize all nations, would be with them, and in them, 
to bless and protect them in the sacred work. Besides, on a sup- 
position that Jesus was a mere man like ourselves, subject to 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, & c . 157 



locality and other relations and affections of nature, how is it 
possible that he could have been present with his disciples in alt 
places, and in all times of the Christian church ? Would not this 
have been omnipresence, an attribute of Deity alone? Yet Jesus 
expressly declares, that he will be so present with his disciples ; 
which is therefore a demonstrative proof of his divine nature; 
and coming so immediately after his charge to baptize in the 
name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, most evident- 
ly implies, that his presence is also the presence of the Father, and 
of the Holy Spir it ; consequently that he himself is the Sole and 
Supreme God of the universe, by whatever name or names he 
has been pleased to distinguish himself in the Sacred Scrip- 
tures." 

But if the Unitarian doctrine concerning the person of Jesl*s 
is so miserably defective in point of sound rationality, and a con- 
sistent interpretation of the Scriptures, we fear but little can be 
said, on the same score, in favour of the Trinitarian system. Do 
not the advocates for both (particularly those of the Protestant 
persuasion) equally deny the Divinity of the Lord's Humanity, 
and make it subject to the laws and properties of mere nature r 
saying in the express words of the Church of England, in her 
Rubrick at the end of the communion service, " The natural body 
" and blood of our Saviour Christ are in heaven, and not here ; 
* it being against the truth of Christ's natural body to be at one 
" time in more places than one." Is not this a complete denial of 
his omnipresence, and consequently of the Divinity of his Hu- 
manity ? Again ; do they not both teach, that the mere humanity 
ascended into heaven, that is, as they both believe^ into some 
heights of the atmosphere above our heads, where it still remains 
in some allotted but unknown portion of space ? And if you ask 
either of them, Where now is your Saviour and Redeemer ? 
where is the man Jesus, that rose again from the dead, and went 
up to heaven ? or where is the right hand of God, at which he 
sits, and will continue to sit till the supposed day of judgment ? 
alas ! not one of these questions can be answered by either Uni- 
tarians or Trinitarians : they both acknowledge their ignorance, 
and scarcely think it concerns them to know what is become of 



158 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



him, from whom they have derived their unmerited name of 
Christians. Thus it evidently appears, even from their own con- 
fession, that they have actually lost their Saviour and their Re- 
deemer : and what is worse than all, they teach, that he has de- 
serted them, and departed they know not where ! Well then may 
the poor Marys, that are still left among them, stand weeping at 
the sepulchre, and in the bitterness and anguish of their hearts ex- 
claim, " They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where 
" they have laid him!" John xx. 13. 

Deplorable indeed must be the state of the Christian church, if 
this be a genuine picture of their faith respecting the Humanity 
of the Lord. It is true, the Trinitarian acknowledges a portion 
of Divinity in some way or other belonging to Jesus ; but this 
he carefully separates from his Humanity, placing the former not 
within but out of and above the latter. Scarcely can we call 
this preferable to the Unitarian system 5 for while the one with a 
bold front totally denies the Divinity of our Lord, the other pro- 
fesses to acknowledge it, and yet at the same moment separates, 
divides, and thus fritters it away into nothing, or at least into 
any thing but a character and perfection of self-existent Deity : 
which is so much like the conduct of Judas in betraying the Son 
of Man with a kiss, that we cannot help perceiving and lament- 
ing the analogy. 

Where then is the God of the church to be found, if on the 
one hand he be divided or multiplied, each term in this case 
amounting to the same thing ; and if on the other hand he be de- 
graded to the rank of a mere man, and then by both parties re- 
moved to an immeasurable distance from the rest of mankind, 
where he must be supposed to be either sitting, standing, flying, 
or floating, in the trackless regions of infinite space ? Resurrec- 
tion and ascension must, under such a view, be a double death ; 
and instead of proving a triumph over the powers Of darkness, 
or a comfort and blessing to the church on earth, it is rather 
calculated to excite horror and dismay, and to chill us with the 
apprehension of a similar fate J 

But enough ! let us turn our eyes from such gloomy, dreary, 

terrific scenes ; from such chimerical doctrines, which can give 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 159 



birth to no other forms, than those of phantasy and mere illusion. 
Let us, with the Word of truth in our hands, and the love of it 
in our hearts, look only to it's Divine Author, who has promised 
to enlighten our understanding, if we will but obey his will. Let 
us listen to the voice of him, of whom Moses, David, and all the 
prophets, so uniformly and so distinctly speak ; of him, who 
came into the world to convert prophecy into fact, that is, to 
realize in his own person every prediction, that had for it's ob- 
ject either the assumption or the glorification of Humanity by the 
great Jehovah himself, including every other act necessary to 
the accomplishment of the redemption and salvation of mankind. 
His words, which are both spirit and life, are of themselves suf- 
ficient to settle for ever the question concerning his sole, supreme, 
and exclusive Divinity ; and thus to seal up in everlasting silence 
the lips of all those, who either deny him, betray him, or refuse 
to acknowledge him as their God and Lord ; their Creator, Re- 
deemer, and Saviour 5 their Parent and Benefactor, whose mer- 
cies are without limitation, and who from those bowels of com- 
passion, which truly characterize a Divine Humanity, and a Hu- 
man Divinity, regards with infinite and unceasing tenderness 
every intelligent creature, the offspring of his everlasting andun 
changeable love. 



MARK. 



[PRELIMINARY.] 

HAVING now collected from the Gospel by Matthew some 
of the most striking passages in proof of the doctrine incul- 
cated in this volume ; and having endeavoured to place them in 
their true and genuine light, with a view to check as well the 
Trinitarian system, as the still more dangerous errors of Unita- 
rianism; we might here have concluded our work, under a full 



160 A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 

conviction, that the great object, which we first had in view, 
has been completely obtained, and that an effectual Seal has 
been already placed upon the lips of all those, who refuse to ac- 
knowledge the sole, supreme, and exclusive divinity of our Lord 
and Saviour Jesus Christ, But that nothing may be wanting 
to render the silence thus imposed upon them both solemn and 
permanent, we shall confirm the doctrine of Matthew by adding 
to it that of the three other evangelical witnesses, Mark, Luke, 
and John, together with the closing evidence of the Apocalypse 
by the last named apostle, whose united testimony cannot fail to 
command the respect even of adversaries, while it stamps our 
Seal with the indelible impression of divine authority. 

That we may not, however, on our part, trespass too much on 
the patience and candour of the reader, who has accompanied us 
thus far, we shall in the succeeding pages adopt a more concise 
method, than that already observed, but which, we trust, will 
be found equally effectual in demonstrating what we have so 
much at heart, because it contains so much of eternal truth, the 
absolute divinity of Jesus our Lord. We shall, therefore, out 
of the great abundance of testimonies of this description lying 
before us, bring forward only those, not hitherto noticed, or but 
slightly touched upon, which we conceive most plainly and ma- 
nifestly to exhibit him in a character infinitely surpassing that of 
every other man, and which for the most part shall be accompa- 
nied with only a short reflection or observation on each, in order 
that the attention may be fixed, and at the same time our de- 
votion excited towards him, who alone is entitled to such re- 
turn for all his mercies. And while we thus close the lips of 
his avowed, as well as of his concealed enemies, may other 
mouths be opened, other tongues unloosed, and other hearts in- 
spired, to join in that new angelic song of praise and celebration, 
which is now spreading in the earth, and which henceforth can 
never cease to ascend to him who sits upon the throne of heaven, 
and to the Lamb, that is, to the One Only Lord God Almighty 
in his divinely-human form. 



unitarians, Trinitarians. & c . igi 



[49.] MARK i. 23, 24. " There was in the synagogue a 
** man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, saying, Let us 
« alone, what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth ? 
« art thou come to destroy us ? I know thee who thou art, the 
« Holy One of God." 

The unclean spirit, who was a devil or demon, knew the cha^ 
racter of Jesus, and evidently dreaded his power as a Being of 
superior order to himself, acknowledging him to be the Holy One 
of God. And yet it is written of the Lord God Almighty, Apoc. 
xv. 4, " Who shall not/ear thee, 0 Lord, and glorify thy name? 
** for thou only art holy." The inference is too plain to need 
pointing out. If men knew not the real character of Jesus, it is 
plain the devils did ; and knowing it, they could not refrain from 
proclaiming it, though in ver. 25, and in chap. iii. 12, he com* 
manded them to " hold their peace and " straitly charged 
K them, that they should not make him known." For if he " re- 
" ceive not testimony from man" John r. 34, still less does he 
require it from the mouth of a deviL 



"[50.] Mark vii. 37.. " The people were beyond measure asto- 
f nished, saying, He hath done all things well" 



Of no mere man can such testimony be given : " for in many 

* things ive offend all," James iii. 2^ The prophet says, " The 

* heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked," 
Jer. xvii. 9. And we know, that a corrupt tree cannot bring 
forth good fruit. " Jehovah looked down from heaven upon the 

* children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, 
M and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together 
" become filthy : there is none that doth good, no not one," Ps. xiv. 
2, 3. " There is none righteous, no not one," Rom. iii. 10. Of 
Jesus, however, it is written, that " no unrighteousness is in 

* him," John vii. 18. And in another place he further says, 
" "Which of you convinceth (or rather convicteth^ me of sin ?" 

X 



162 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



John viii. 46 : evidently claiming to be exempt from the guilt of 
evil, and consequently, as there is none good but one, which is 
God, to be himself that One God. 



[51.] Mark xiv. 12 to 16. " And the first day of unleavened 
" bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto 
" him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare, that thou may est 
" eat the passover ? And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, 
" and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet 
4< you a man bearing a pitcher of water : follow him. And where- 
a soever he shall go in, say ye to the good-man of the house, The 
" Master saith, Where is the guest-chamber, where I shall eat 
" the passover with my disciples ? And he will shew you a large 
" upper room furnished and prepared : there make ready for us. 
" And his disciples went forth, and came into the city, and 
" found as he had said unto them." See also Luke xxii. 8 to 13. 



On this occasion we find the character of Jesus distinguished 
by a knowledge most clearly super-human and super-natural: for 
he not only foretels what are usually called contingencies, but 
also minutely describes them as to their circumstances $ in all of 
which his disciples found him to be strictly correct. 

A similar demonstration of super-natural knowledge Jesus also 
gave, in the case of Nathanael, whom he saw " while under the 
" fig-tree," and whose character he described, when yet at a dis- 
tance, as " an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile," John i. 47, 
48. The same superior knowledge he discovered, when he or- 
dered his disciples to bring him an ass, with her colt, which he 
said they would find in a particular place, and under particular 
circumstances, as related in Matt. xxi. 1 to 5, and in two of the 
other Evangelists : As he did also in the case of the woman of 
Samaria, whom he told, that " she had had five husbands; and 
;< that the man, with whom she then cohabited, was not her hus- 
" band," John iv. 18. Not to mention a variety of other cases, 
in all of which he displayed a knowledge, that falls not within 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 163 



the compass of mere human sagacity, but which with him alone 
multiplied and increased, in the exact proportion in which he 
glorified his human essence, or in other words, made it divine. 

How different is this from the case of the prophets of old, who 
indeed predicted future events, jet not from themselves, or by 
any wisdom of their own, but solely from the Word of Jehovah, 
which came unto them ! Elisha could foretel, that 66 the Shu« 
" nammite woman would bear a son at the appointed season,' 5 
2 Kings iv. 16, 17: but when the same child died, and the mo- 
ther waited upon the prophet in her distress, he still knew no - 
thing of the event ; for he declares in ver. 27, " Jehovah hath 
" hid it from me, and hath not told me." Never did any one of 
the prophets speak from a self -derived authority, or from a source 
of prescience and unerring wisdom ivithin himself, and proper 
to himself, as it is plain from the whole history of Jesus that he 
did. 



[52.] Mark xiv. 18. « As they sat and did eat, Jesus said, 
" Verily I say unto you, One of you, which eateth with me, 
" shall betray me." See also Matt. xxvi. 21. Luke xxii. 21. 
John xiii. 21. 



This prediction was afterwards fully verified in the person of 
Judas Iscariot. Moral events are certainly governed and regu* 
lated by different laws from those, which bring about physical 
events : and as the former are more interior in their nature, and 
likewise more intricate and remote from the perception of man 
in their descent from cause to effect, the perfect knowledge of 
them, which Jesus evinced, argues a wisdom high above human 
capacity, and leads us at once to the idea of his divine pre- 
science. 



164 



A £EAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



[53.] Mark xiv. 27 to 31. 44 Jesus saith unto them, All ye 
" shall he offended because of me this night: for it is written, I 
" will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered. But 
« after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee. But 
44 Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will 
44 not I. And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, that 
« this day, even in this night before the cock crow twice, thou 
44 shalt deny me thrice. But he spake the more vehemently. If I 
44 should die with thee, / will not deny thee in any ivise. Like- 
" wise also said they all" See also Matt. xxvi. 31 to 35. Luke 
sxii. 31 to 34. John xviii. 17, 25, 27. 



The same observation, which was made above, will equally ap- 
ply to the present passage. The smiting of the Shepherd, and the 
scattering of the sheep, but especially Peter's denial of his Master 
three times in one night before the cock crew twice, notwithstand- 
ing the natural resoluteness of his character, and his being dis- 
tinctly forewarned of the trial, which would deprive him of his 
courage, all bear testimony again, as incontrovertible facts, which 
afterwards literally took place, in proof of our Saviour's being 
possessed of a knowledge surpassing the lot of mere humanity. 



[54.] Mark xvi. 17, 18. Jesus said to his disciples, " These 
44 signs shall follow them that believe : In my name shall they 
° 4 cast out devils, they shall speak with new tongues, they shall 
i< take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall 
44 not hurt them ; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall 
44 recover.' 1 

To do all this in the name, that is, by the sole authority and 
power of Jesus, without reference to any superior being, most 
clearly involves divinity on the part of Jesus himself, who gives 
such power; and on the part of his disciples, an unshaken faith 
in him, as the One Omnipotent God of heaven and earth; 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 165 



LUKE. 



[PRELIMINARY.] 

IT has been asserted by some of the most distinguished wri- 
ters in favour of Unitarianism, particularly the late Dr. Priestley, 
that " the Gospel of Luke abounds with the most manifest im- 
" probabilities:" and hence they would recommend extreme cau- 
tion in listening to the testimony of this Evangelist, lest — for- 
sooth—the absolute Divinity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
Christ should be established to the conviction and satisfaction 
of the unprejudiced reader. But we believe, and rejoice in the 
reflection, that such a divine authority has been preserved entire 
and uncorrupted in the church. Without hesitation, therefore, 
without suspicion of error in this or in any other of the Gospels, 
but in the fullest confidence arising from a perception of it's con- 
tents, we draw from this well the same water of life, the same 
doctrine of eternal truth, as we do from the other wells of sal- 
vation, that lie equally open and uncovered in the Sacred Scrip- 
tures. 



[55.] LUKE i. 17. « And he [John the Baptist] shall go be- 
« fore the Lord in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the 
" hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the 
" wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the 
« Lord." 

This prophecy of the angel Gabriel, in reference to John 
the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus, is nearly a repetition of 
that of the prophet Malachi, chap, iv, 5, 6, concerning Elijah, 



166 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



whose appearance was to take place before the coming of the 
great and dreadful daj of Jehovah. And as John the Baptist, 
who prepared the way of Jesus, (John i. 15, SO, 31 ; chap. iii. 
£8.) was expressly declared by our Lord i himself to be the per- 
son understood by the prophet Elijah, who was to prepare the 
way of Jehovah, it most evidently follows, as one of the plain- 
est and grandest truths of divine revelation, that Jesus was no 
other than the great Jehovah in the human form. 



[56.] Luke i. 41. " And it came to pass, that when Elizabeth 
" heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb : and 
" Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit" 



The Holy Spirit is the holy influence proceeding from Jehovah 
when in the Humanity : and as the Humanity was now already 
assumed, it is therefore said in reference to that, and also to it's 
future glorification, that Elizabeth, on hearing the voice of Mary, 
was filled with the Holy Spirit. It is however written in John 
vii. 39, that " the Holy Spirit was not yet, because that Jesus 
66 was not yet glorified which passage, compared with the for- 
mer, and some others in the Gospels, furnishes a proof, that the 
influence proceeding from Jehovah, which before the incarna- 
tion was called simply the Spirit, or the Spirit of Jehovah, 
was at and after the incarnation called the Holy Spirit ; though, 
strictly speaking, this latter name more properly belongs to the 
spirit or influence immediately proceeding from the glorified or 
Divine Humanity of Jesus Christ. Hence it is, that he pro- 
mised his disciples, that he would send them the Comforter, the 
Spirit of truth, after his departure from them, that is, after his 
return to the Father, and full union with him, which is the same 
thing as his full glorification. This promise he also fulfilled, 
when after his resurrection " he breathed on his disciples, and 
" said, Receive ye the Holy Spirit," John xx. 22. 

From these premises, then, it follows, that, as the Holy Spirit 
is the holy influence proceeding from Jehovah in the Humanity* 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, & c . 167 

and as this influence proceeds directly out of the glorified per- 
son of Jesus, beyond all further controversy he must be God. 
and God alone. 



[57.] Luke ii. 11. " Unto you is born this day, in the city of 
a David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." 



Are there in the church, or can there be in heaven, any more 
Saviours than one ? Let the highest authority in the universe give 
the answer. " I, even I, am Jehovah, and beside me there is no 
" Saviour" Isa. xliii. 11. But did it ever enter into the head or 
the heart of man to conceive, that the great Jehovah, who in- 
habits eternity, should or could in any possible respect be bom 
as a Man in the world, and make his first appearance in the city 
of David, in Bethlehem, a mere village of Judea ? Hear the lan- 
guage of prophecy: "But thou, Bethlehem-Ephratah, though 
" thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee 
" shall he come forth unto me, that is to be Rider in Israel? 
" whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting 
Micah v, 2. " Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, 
" and the government shall be upon his shoulder : and his name 
" shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the 
" Everlasting Father, the Prince of peace," Isa. ix. 6. 

Listen, ye Trinitarians and Unitarians, to this voice out of 
heaven, while it is still sounding in your ears, unless they are 
sealed, as well as your lips ; and no longer dream of any Son 
born from eternity, much less of any mortal man, or finite worm, 
undertaking the work of redemption and salvation 5 but for once 
learn, that the Infinite and the Eternal Himself came down 
upon <earth, and, hiding his glories, for a time sustained the cha- 
racter of a Man; and because there was no other help, no other 
power to save, that therefore, out of pure love and mercy to his 
fallen creatures, he himself became their Saviour and Redeemer ; 
thereby proving himself still to be, what from eternity he ever 



168 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



had been, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Frince of 
peace. 



[58.] Luke ii. 42 to 50. « When he was tivelve years old, they 
" went up to Jerusalem, after the custom of the feast. And when 
" they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus 
" tarried behind in Jerusalem ; and Joseph and his mother knew 
66 not of it. But they supposing him to have been in the compa- 
" ny, went a day's journey ; and they sought him among their 
" kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found him not, 
" they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. And it 
" came to pass, that after three days they found him in the tern- 
"pie, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and 
" asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished 
" at his understanding and answers. And when they saw him, 
" they were amazed : and his mother said unto him, Son, why 
" hast thou thus dealt with us ? behold, thy father and I have 
" sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, How is it that 
" ye sought me ? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's 
" business? And they understood not the saying, which he spake 
" unto them." 

Let it be ever remembered, that the Father Jehovah is the 
purely divine essence, which was within the child Jesus from 
his first conception, as an interior soul within it's body. But this 
divine essence could not, according to order, be manifestly and 
fully received by the human form, until external knowledges had 
been acquired by learning and experience, as vessels to contain 
and exhibit the divine wisdom flowing from it's proper source : in 
like manner as in every man, the faculties^ which are innate and 
connate with the soul, cannot fully and adequately descend into 
it's organized form the body, until by instruction, learning, and 
science, this latter is prepared for the perfect exercise and mani- 
festation of mere human intelligence* 



UNITARIANS. TRINITARIANS, &c. 169 



In the case of the Lord, as he was pleased to be born like 
another man. (yet of necessity retaining this most essential dif- 
ference, that his inmost principle was the pure Divinity, life it- 
self, while with every other man his inmost principle is only a 
form receptive of life from God, J he gradually acquired, or re- 
ceived into his Humanity, from his own essential Divinity within 
him, those qualities, attributes, and perfections, which character- 
ized him in the first place as the Child Jesus, the Son of the 
Highest, and the Son of God ; but at length, when all the divine 
perfections were fully incorporated, (as Paul well expresses it.) 
or united -with his Humanity, that is, agreeably to our Lord's 
own words, when i; all things belonging to the Father were his.'' 
John xvL 15, or when i; all power was given unto him in heaven 
« and in earth," Matt, xxviii. 18, then — then he became even as 
to his Humanity, what from all eternity he had been as to his 
Divinity, the Supreme and Mighty God, the Everlasting 
Father of angels and men. 

Keeping now in mind the great process here imperfectly de- 
scribed, by which every man in his degree becomes both rational 
and spiritual : and remembering that the Lord glorified his Hu- 
manity, or united it with the pure Divinity within him, in a way 
similar to, but infinitely surpassing, that in which man is regene- 
rated, or new-modelled in all the interior and exterior principles 
of his life ; where is the difficulty in perceiving the true ground 
and reason why Jesus at one time, or in one state, is called the 
Son, and at another time, or in another state, is acknowledged as 
the Father himself ? why also it is said, ver. 52, that he grew in 
wisdom, as he grew in. stature ? and finally why, after passing 
through all the stages of the reception of life, he is at length de- 
clared to be the very life itself, and consequently wholly, com- 
pletely, and exclusively, God alone ? 

And here, once for all, let an answer be put in to that Unita- 
rian objection against the divinity of Jesus, which is so trium- 
phantly drawn from the Gospel of Mark, chap. xiii. 32 : " But of 
" that day and that hour" (speaking of the consummation of the 
age, the last judgment, and the commencement of a new church in 
the room of the former,) « knoweth no man, no not the "angels 

Y 



170 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



« which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father." We 
have already seen how, why, and in what respect, it is said, that 
Jesus is the Father, as well as the Son. If we are correct in the 
view, which we have taken of the different characters sustained 
by him while in the world, and after he had left it, no impeach- 
ment whatever can be laid against his supreme and exclusive 
Divinity on the ground of his being called in one capacity the 
Son, to whom some things were unknown, while he is proved to 
be in another capacity the very same personage who is also de- 
nominated the Father, to whom all things are most intimately 
and perfectly known. Until his Humanity was fully united with 
his Divinity, which great work was only in progression with him 
from infancy to the last period of his life in the world, many 
things might be concealed from the former, which yet lay open 
to the view of the latter : and indeed this is evident from the 
circumstance of his increasing in wisdom, while he grew in sta- 
ture : which plainly enough shews, that he was not as yet, while 
an Infant, a Child, and a Son, externally, or as to his Humanity, 
possessed of all those divine properties, which afterwards cha- 
racterized him as the Supreme God, the Father of heaven. 

No one ever pretended to say, that as a Child he was the Fa- 
ther, or that as a recipient he was the very fountain of life it- 
self ; because this would be nothing less than a contradiction in 
terms. But this is the language, the sentiment, the doctrine of 
eternal truth, That he, who appeared on earth as a Child, a Son, 
a Man, and was so called, because surrounded with the infirmi- 
ties of mere humanity, was nevertheless, considered as to his in- 
terior life, or the divine essence within him, the Father himself : 
and further, That as to his divine human form now united with 
his divine essence, and by glorification perfectly free from every 
character and quality of the mere finite humanity, he is truly and 
properly the One Ever-living Jehovah, besides whom there is 
no Father, no God, either in heaven above, or on the earth below. 
Nothing is more common in the Evangelical Word, than for 
^esus, as the Son, to pray to the Father to aid and assist him 
with his divine love, his divine wisdom, and his divine power $ 
and this in such a strain of humility, as evidently to denote his 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



171 



Inferiority at the time of so praying. It is in reference to this 
his state of humiliation, that he says, " The Father is greater 
" than I," John xiv. 28. But when he rises from this state of 
humiliation into his state of glorification, which is the same thing 
as his union or identification with the Father-, he then uses a dif- 
ferent language, and speaks in terms like the following : " I and 
" the Father are One," John x. SO. « He that hath seen me, hath 
« seen the Father," John xiv. 9. " Ml things that the Father 
66 hath, are mine, John xvi. 15. " Ml power is given unto me in 
<< heaven and in earth," Matt, xxviii. 18. 

Here most evidently an imperfect state precedes that which is 
perfect ; and the existence of the one does not preclude the pos- 
sibility, or even the future actuality of the other. Why then 
should the solitary passage in Mark, which ascribes inferiority to 
the Son, and superiority to^the Father, in regard to the perfec- 
tion of knowledge, be considered as any greater proof of the want 
of divinity in Jesus, than the many other passages in the Gospels, 
which in like manner treat of his state of humiliation, while in 
the infirm humanity, previous to his entering into that full state 
of glorification, which identifies him as one with the Father in 
every possible respect ? The answer to any one of such objec- 
tions is an answer to them all : and indeed the particular objec- 
tion, which we are now combating, and which with many others 
was started by the late Dr. Priestley upwards of twenty years 
ago, received at that time so ample a discussion, and in the opi- 
nion of many so satisfactory an answer, that our present observa- 
tions might perhaps have been well spared. However, as they 
are now given, and may possibly be of service to some, who have 
never seen or heard of the Author's Letters to Dr. Priestley, in 
Defence of the New Jerusalem, and in Proof of the exclusive DU 
vinity of Jesus Christ, let them remain, and be digested by the 
reader^ together with another explanatory remark or two on the 
subject, as follows. 

The Lord is distinguished in the Gospels by various names i 
among others he is sometimes called the Son of God, sometimes 
the Son of Man, and at other times simply the Son, which latter 
expression may be Referred to either of the two former, according 



172 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



to the nature of the subject treated of. In general, by the Son of 
God is meant the Lord as to his divine person ; but by the Son 
of Man, the Lord as to the Word, or as to the divine truth con- 
tained in the Word. And further, by the Son of Man before glo- 
rification is denoted the Word in it's literal sense, or such as we 
have ,it on earth ; but by the Son of Man when glorified, the 
W^ord in it's spiritual sense, or such as angels have it in heaven. 
Now when it is said, in reference to the last judgment, &c. that 
" of that day and hour knoweth no man, no not the angels which 
" are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father," we are in- 
structed by the Lord, that the prec ise state of the church, what it 
would be at it's end or entire consummation, is neither revealed 
to men, nor to angels, because it is not particularly described in 
the Word either in it's literal or in it's spiritual sense. For what 
is not contained or not described in the Word, and thus as it were 
not present with the Word, may properly be said not to be known 
by the Word, or by the Son, who (as we have already seen) is 
the divine truth of the Word : in like manner as the workers of 
iniquity, and the foolish virgins, who were not spiritually present 
with the Lord, that is, not in conjunction with him, are said not 
to be known by the Lord, Matt. vii. 23 5 chap. xxv. 12: or again, 
in like manner as it is written even of the Omniscient Jehovah 
himself, that the wickedness of the Israelites was so great, that 
he had no previous idea of it's ever coming to such a pitch, as he 
afterwards found it did. For, says he, " They build the high 
4 > places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, 
" to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the 
" fire unto Molech, which I commanded them not, neither came 
" it into my mind, that they should do this abomination to catise 
" Judah to sin,' 7 Jer. xxxii. 35. And yet every event, every state 
of good or evil, and every individual, whether in or out of the 
church, must be perfectly known by him, who is no less than the 
God of the Word, of the church, and of the universe, that is, the 
Omniscient, as well as the Omnipotent Father of all. 

Moreover it is to be observed, that, as by the Son is meant the. 
divine truth proceeding f rom the Lord, which is the same thing as 
the divine truth accommodated to the apprehension of the crea- 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 1T3 

iure i and as it is impossible that any finite being can acquire a 
distinct and perfect knowledge of all the interior states of life ap- 
pertaining to so many millions and millions of souls, as constitute 
the vast assemblage of those who were to be judged either to hea- 
ven or to hell, therefore, to point out this inherent incapacity, 
both in men and in angels, to search and try the human heart, and 
thus to sit in judgment upon mankind, it is written, that not even 
the Son himself is acquainted with the day and the hour of that 
great event, but the Father only : by which is signified, that such 
knowledge and wisdom cannot form any part of that divine truth 
which is communicated or accommodated to the creature, and con- 
sequently no part of that divine truth which is said to proceed 
from the Lord, and which on that account is called the Son : For 
by each of these expressions, whether it be the Son, or the divine 
truth proceeding from the Lord, or the divine truth communica- 
ted and accommodated to the creature, still, as before stated, one 
and the same thing is understood. And thus we find, after due 
investigation of the subject, that the passage in question makes 
nothing in favour either of the Unitarian or the Trinitarian doc- 
trine, but on the contrary exalts him, who is qualified to be the 
Judge both of the living and of the dead, infinitely above all that 
can possibly be apprehended by finite minds, because it makes 
him in his highest capacity to be the Omniscient Father him- 
self. 

To return, after this long digression, to Jesus in the temple? 
where we left him " sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hear- 
" ing them, and asking questions it is evident, that though he 
acquired knowledge and understanding in the usual way, he yet 
advanced more rapidly and perfectly than other men ; for at 
twelve years of age he gave such proofs of superior wisdom, as 
to astonish all who heard him. And it seems he was then em- 
ployed in the great work of redemption, which he terms his Fa- 
ther's business, because the divine love within him (signified by 
the Father) prompted him both to undertake and to accomplish 
it. That it was not Joseph, whom he meant by his Father, must 
be plain to every reader : for hearing the doctors, asking them 
questions, and giving them answers, had no reference whatever 



174 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



to the manual employment of his reputed father, but solely to that 
divine business, for which he came into the world. 

It is true, that Mary his mother, on expostulating with him for 
absenting himself from her and the rest of the company without 
their knowledge, uses the following words : « Son, why hast thou 
" thus dealt with us ? Behold, thy father (meaning Joseph) and 
" I have sought thee sorrowing." Now, although the two first 
chapters of Luke are rejected by the Socinian Unitarians, as too 
miraculous to be true, yet, as the present passage has an appear- 
ance of favouring their sentiments, they do not hesitate to cite it 
as a proof, that Joseph, the reputed father of Jesus, was at the 
same time his real father : not considering, that a reputed father, 
or sl father-in-law, and an actual father, are by the common con- 
sent and practice of mankind designated by the same general 
name of father. But for a moment let us listen to the argument 
arising out of the Unitarian doctrine : let us allow what it's ad- 
vocates contend for, and we shall presently see the consequences 
to which it leads. 

If Jesus were in reality the son of Joseph, or were it the in- 
tention of the Evangelists to represent him as such, then it is 
reasonable to think, that we might, without any violation of the 
truth, on every occasion where Jesus speaks of his Father, sub- 
stitute the name Joseph, as being perfectly equivalent thereto. 
We will not transcribe a single passage from the Word with this 
alteration, because the result would manifestly be a species of 
profanation, which we cannot consent to be guilty of. But we 
may be permitted to say, that, if the reader be disposed to try 
the doctrine by this test, on any one or more of the subjoined 
chapters-, it will instantly appear, from the absurdities and even 
insanities so generated, that nothing can be possibly conceived of 
more distant from the truth of divine revelation, than the Unita- 
rian doctrine of the mere natural descent of our blessed Lord. 
The chapters alluded to are the following: John v. 19,21,22, 
23, 26, 43 chap. vi. 32, 65 : — chap. viii. 19 : — chap. x. 15, 17, 
18, 27, 29 to 33 : — chap. xiv. 2, 6 to 12, 21, 23, 28 : — chap. xv. 1, 
8, 26 : — chap. xvi. 25, 28 :■— chap, xvii. 1 to 5. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 175 

Judging, that the value and beauty of truth might be heighten- 
ed bv a contrasted view of the absurdity and deformity of it's op- 
posite error, we have ventured to suggest to the reader the pre- 
ceding method of applying the Unitarian faith to the divine lan- 
guage of revelation ; but feel happy in the reflection, that it is 
scarcely possible, in the present case, even for a child to be se- 
duced by it. On the other hand, if to the same passages we ap- 
ply the true Christian faith, as maintained in this volume, and 
instead of the term Father substitute in our minds the term Di- 
vinity or Divine Essence^ or any other expression of similar im- 
port, and for Son read Humanity ; we shall then find, that, so 
tar from being shocked, as in the former case, with any violence 
offered both to the sacred text, and to our common reason, we 
shall be edified, enlightened, and more and more confirmed in 
the truth of that celestial doctrine, which teaches the divine unity 
in the person of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 



[59.] Luke v. 4 to 6. " Jesus said unto Simon, Launch out 
" into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Si- 

mon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the 
" night, and have taken nothing : nevertheless at thy word I will 
" let down the net. And when they had done this, they inclosed 
M a great multitude of fishes." 

Though not expressed, it is evident, from the circumstances 
attending this draught of fishes, that Jesus knew within himself 
not only what was in the bosom of the deep out of the reach of 
every human eye, but also that success would attend this last ef- 
fort of the fishermen, who, after toiling in vain all the night, at his 
word again exerted themselves, and were rewarded with the com- 
pletion of their wishes. His omniscience and his providence were 
both exemplified on this occasion. 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



[60.] Luke yii. 11 to 15. " And it came to pass, that Jesus 
" went into the city called Nain ; and many of his disciples went 
< s with him, and much people. Now when he came nigh to the 
" gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the 
" only son of his mother, and she was a widow : and much peo- 
" pie of the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he 
" had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. And he 
" came and touched the bier, (and they that bare him stood still,) 
" and he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that 
" was dead sat up, and began to speak : and he delivered him to 
" his mother." 



What greater proof of omnipotence can be required or given, 
than the raising of a dead man ? Yet this proof Jesus gave on 
several occasions : and to shew that it was by his own power and 
authority, that the effect was produced, and not by that of any 
other being,\ie thus addresses the dead : " Young man, I say un- 
" to thee, Arise plainly instructing us, that, as life proceeds 
from him, and is communicated by his voice, he must himself be 
the great fountain and source of life ; which is again confirm- 
ed by his own words to Martha, " I am the resurrection, and the 
" life,'" John xi. 25. 



[61.] Luke viii. 38, 39. "The man, out of whom the devils 
" were departed, besought him that he might be with him : but 
" Jesus sent him away, saying, Return to thine own house ; and 
a shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went 
" his way, aiid published throughout the whole city how great 
" things Jesus had done unto him " 

Did this man, out of whom the devils were departed, obey the 
command of Jesus, or did he not? He was ordered to show how 
great things God had done unto him 5 and lo ! he immediately 
published how great things Jesus had done i This identification 
of Jesus with God may be still further confirmed by comparing 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



177 



the present passage with it's collateral one in Mark, chap. v. 18, 
19 ; where it is written, that Jesus ordered the man to " go home 
6 * to his friends, and tell them how great things the Lord (that 
44 is, Jesus) had done fGr him." All the circumstances of this 
case are evidently calculated to honour and exalt the name, the 
character, and the person of Jesus. The Evangelist, with manifest 
approbation, relates, that the man ascribed to Jesus, what could 
only be effected by God ; and thus he leads us to, and justifies 
us in, the conclusion, that Jesus was and is the Omnipotent 
God, whom devils fear, and angels love. 



[62.J Luke viii. 49 to 55. " While he yet spake, there cometh. 
" one from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, 
" Tliy daughter is dead ; trouble not the Master. But when Je« 
44 sus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not ; believe only, 
ii and she shall be made whole. And when he came into the house, 
" he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, 
" and the father and the mother of the maiden. And all wept, 
44 and bewailed her : but he said, Weep not ; she is not dead, but 
44 sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she 
64 was dead. And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, 
" and called, saying, Maid, arise. And her spirit came again, 
" and she arose straightway : and he commanded to give her 
« meat." 



Here is another instance and proof of the omnipotence of Je- 
sus, in restoring, by his word and hand, a young maid to life, 
who, though said to be only asleep, was, in the estimation of all 
her friends, completely dead. 

It is observed, that her spirit came again : but no mention is 
made of the place or state, to which it had departed, or from 
which it returned. This is a point not necessary to be discussed 
in the present work ; and therefore we shall here take no further 
notice of the question, than simply to state it, reserving the de- 
velopement of the particulars included in it for another work. 

Z 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



The question then concerning the state of those, who are pro- 
nounced to be dead, resolves itself into several, which are to the 
following purport: Where is the spirit, or soul, on the first, se- 
cond, and third day after death ? And where afterwards ? Is it 
for a certain time still within the body, having only retired a lit- 
tle inwards, and withdrawn itself from the exterior organization 
of the matter with which it was connected, yet being linked to it's 
interior organization by some invisible bonds, is capable of being 
recalled to it's external functions, as we see is sometimes the case 
by the application of human means ? Again, what is the state and 
situation of the spirit, or soul, when all human means are totally 
ineffectual to bring it back to it's former condition, that is, when 
the man may, with still greater propriety than in the former case, 
be said to be dead ; and yet divine means, like the word of Jesus, 
can arrest it in it's passage to another life, and replace it in full 
possession of it's old tenement ? But the great question still re- 
mains : When the spirit or soul has entirely quitted the body 
both externally and internally, and made it's entry into the spi- 
ritual world, and like another spirit has joined it's proper society, 
can it in such case be recalled from the interior life then begun, 
and again be immersed in the corruptions of matter ? Or, in other 
words, is it agreeable to the laws of divine order, that a spirit? 
once freed from the trammels and shackles of the body, and once 
become &full inhabitant of the spiritual world, should again, un- 
der the name of restoration to life, be returned to his former state 
of comparative death ? again be immured in the prison-house of 
a mortal body ? again, or a second time, be permitted to enter 
upon the day of probation, after having actually outlived the 
first, while the rest of mankind have only one such day allotted 
them ? 

These are some of the questions, which arise to a reflecting 
mind out of the cases recorded in the Word, of the restoration of 
the dead to life 5 from the discussion and elucidation of which it 
will most plainly appear, that none but a divine hand, a divine 
power, a divine word, like that of Jesus, could possibly perform 
so great a miracle, as that of raising the dead. But, as before 
observed, this part of the subject not properly falling within the 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 179 



design of the present work, we have barely stated the question, 
reserving the answer to it for another publication more expressly 
treating on the nature of resurrection in the body, as well as re- 
surrection from the body. 



[63.] Luke ix. 38 to 43. " Behold, a man cried out to Jesus s 
et saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son, for he is mine 
" only child. And lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth 
" out, and it teareth him, that he foameth again, and bruising him, 
<; hardly departeth from him. And I besought thy disciples to cast 
" him out, and they could not. And Jesus answering said, O 
" faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, 
tt and suffer you ? Bring thy son hither. And as he was yet a- 
" coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him : and Jesus 
^ rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered 
him again to his father. And they were all amazed at the 
£ * mighty power of God," 

The disciples, it appears, could neither cast out this spirit, nor 
relieve the child : and the reason assigned for it is, because they 
were a faithless and perverse generation ; that is, because they had 
Hot as yet that full faith and confidence in Jesus as the Omnipo- 
tent God clothed with Humanity, which could alone enable them 
to work miracles, and to cast out devils. This is evident from 
our Lord's words on the occasion, " How long shall I be with you? 
u and suffer you" thus to with-hold your faith from me ? He then 
immediately rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child : on 
which the by-standers were filled with astonishment at the super- 
natural power exemplified by Jesus, which they also called the 
mighty power of God. 



[64.] Luke x. 17 to 19. « And the seventy returned again 
^with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us 



180 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



« through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as 
" lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to 
" tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the 
" enemy ; and nothing shall by any means hurt you." 

What can reduce to subjection those malevolent powers of dark - 
ness, called devils, serpents, and scorpions, except the omnipo- 
tent hand of Deity itself? Yet we see, the name, that is,thepow~ 
er and authority of Jesus is competent to so great a work : for, 
says he, " I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scor- 
"pious, and over all the power of the enemy ; and nothing shall 
s< by any means hurt you." Could a mere man do all this ? Nay, 
pould any but the Supreme God himself perform what Jesus 
here promises, and promises not in the name of another superior 
to himself, but in his own name only ? Let the reader draw the 
conclusion : he cannot err. 



[65.] Luke xi. .20. Jesus said to the Jews, If I with the fin? 
« ger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is 
« come upon you." 

We have already seen, that Jesus cast out devils by his own 
power $ which power is here called the finger of God, and con- 
sidered as a proof that the kingdom of God was come upon men. 
It is further observable in the passage before us, that the divine 
power is expressed by a term, which has a direct reference to 
Humanity, one member in the extremity of the body being taken 
for the whole of the human form. Thus, as in the prophecy of 
Isaiah, chap. liii. 1, the Humanity which was to be assumed by 
Jehovah, together with it's power, is called the arm of Jehovah? 
so in the Gospels the person and power of Jesus are called the 
finger of God ; both phrases denoting the exercise of omnipo- 
tence by one and the same medium, the Divine Body of our blessed 
Saviour. And hence it is, that the advent of Jehovah into the 
world ? by the assumption of Humanity, is understood by the 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 181 



kingdom of God being come upon or among its, while the annun- 
ciation of this great event is called glad tidings, or the everlast- 
ing gospel of " peace on earth, good-will towards men.*' 



[66.] Luke xii. 8, 9. " I say unto you, Whosoever shall con- 
" fess me before men, him shall the Son of Man also confess be- 
66 fore the angels of God. But he that denieth me before men, 
<s ' shall be denied before the angels of God." 

The confession of Jesus before men is here represented as a 
matter of the highest importance, worthy of being noticed and re- 
warded in the presence of angels ; while the denial of him in- 
volves a calamity equal to exclusion from heaven. But what can 
be really understood by confessing or denying him ? If he be a 
mere man, as some mere men would have us to believe, it is rea- 
sonable to ask, Why should the confession of him as such be en- 
titled to any reward, any more than the confession of any other 
prophet, apostle, or messenger of God ? Or why, on the other 
hand, should the denial of him as such (which by the bye is rather 
a curious idea, on the Unitarian system,) be attended with con- 
sequences fatal to man's future happiness ? 

There is no difficulty in admitting that good and pious men, as 
M'ell as holy angels, ought to be respected, revered, and loved : 
but there appears no just reason why confession, or any thing re- 
sembling adoration, should be made to any one of them, however 
high or however low he maybe in the scale of creation. For con- 
fession being a part of divine worship, it belongs exclusively to 
the Creator, who is at the same time the Preserver and the Re- 
deemer of the world. And as to offer this worship, and to make 
this confession, to it's legitimate Object, is the first duty of the 
creature, and prepares for the society of angels, and a participa- 
tion in their enjoyments ; so, on the other hand, to with-hold such 
worship and confession from him, who alone has the right to claim 
it, is a violation of the divine law, and amounts to a rejection not 
only of heaven, but also of the God of heaven. The Lord, there- 
fore, by teaching us what will be the consequence of confessing 



182 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



him, and what the consequence of denying him, in the same words 
proclaims the divinity of his person and character ; and gives us 
to understand, that the confession, which he calls upon us to 
make, is the acknowledgment in heart, in doctrine, and in life, 
that he, and he alone, is the one adorable God both of angels and 
men. 

[67V] Luke xvii. 12 to 19. " And as he entered into a certain 
" village, there met him ten men that were lepers, who stood afar 
m off: and they lifted up their voices, and saidj Jesus Master, 
" have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, 
" Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, 
*' that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when 
" he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice 
" glorified God, and fell down on his face at his feet, giving him 
" thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, 
w Were there not ten cleansed ? but where are the nine ? There 
u are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this 
" stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way; thy faith 

hath made thee whole." 

It has been rashly asserted by Unitarians, that the New Testa- 
ment writers no-where expressly declare Jesus to be God : and 
on this groundless supposition they attempt to build an argument 
against his divinity. But the basis of their visionary structure 
crumbles into dust, the moment it is touched by the Rod of divine 
truth. We have already adduced several instances, wherein the 
very name of God is given to him as a distinguishing title ; but 
many more, wherein the characters, attributes, and perfections of 
Deity are indisputably ascribed to him. Besides these, other 
passages, not hitherto noticed, are to be found in great variety to 
the same effect, which will appear the more evident and striking, 
if the following circumstance be attended to. 

As in the assumption of Humanity by Jehovah it was neces- 
sary, in agreement with the laws of divine order, that his glory 
should be veiled, so as to permit his approach to mankind, and 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



183 



reciprocally the approach of mankind to him, without instantane- 
ous destruction to the creature ; (Mai. iii. 2 ; chap. iv. 6.) and as 
the intense glory of his divine person was only occasionally ma- 
nifested to his disciples ; once at his transfiguration, again at his 
ascension, afterwards to John, as described in the Apocalypse ^ 
and also to Paul, to Stephen, and perhaps to others; so the evan- 
gelical writers, in describing and relating the acts of Jesus in the 
flesh, do likewise in a measure veil his glory from the eyes of 
those, who are not disposed to believe in him, lest seeing the 
truth they should afterwards profane it, and lest the brilliancy of 
it's light should, by a too precipitate influx upon them, rather in- 
jure than benefit the organ of their intellectual vision. It is 
therefore written concerning our Lord's disciples of old, and may 
be truly said of many who call themselves his disciples in the pre- 
sent day, that " they understood none of these things ; that his 
" sayings were hid from them ; and that they knew not the things 
" which were spoken," Luke xviii. 34. Hence in numerous in- 
stances, where the works, the power, and the character of Jesus 
are exemplified, the direct name of Deity is not ascribed to him, 
until after the intervention of a part of a verse, a whole verse, or 
perhaps of several verses, between the description of the attribute 
and the appellat ion of him to whom it belongs. The consequence 
of which is, that many do not immediately perceive the divine in- 
tention in so describing the life and character of our Lord ; which 
yet is, as before observed, that men might gradually, and not too 
precipitately, be introduced to the true knowledge and acknow- 
ledgment of their Saviour, first as the Son of God, and lastly as 
One with the Father, that is, as the Supreme God himself in hu- 
man form. And yet to the mind truly enlightened nothing can 
be more clear, than the evidence thus arising: for on the removal 
of the thin veil thus mercifully interposed, our Divine Lord stands 
forth to view in all his heavenly glory. 

If these observations be just, they will admit of proof. We 
shall therefore now demonstrate, by several examples from the 
New Testament, that they are founded in fact ; and that the 
truth of our doctrine concerning the Lord is the necessary result 
of divine revelation, when understood in it's genuine sense. 



184 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



1. First, then, the passage, which already lies open before us, 
is of this description. One of the ten lepers, finding that he was 
healed in consequence of his faith in, and obedience to, the word 
of Jesus, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and 
fell down at his feet, giving him thanks. At whose feet now did 
he fall, but at the feet of Jesus ? And yet the antecedent to the 
pronoun his is evidently the word God 5 demonstrating, that, 
while he fell at the feet of Jesus, he at the same time fell at the 
feet of God. This is also confirmed by the remark, which Jesus 
made, in answer to the glorification and thanksgiving of the leper: 
" Were there not ten cleansed ? but where are the nine ? There 
" are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this 
" stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way; thy faith 
" hath made thee whole. 5 ' The whole passage, therefore, taken 
in it's just connection, may be considered as containing both a 
direct and an indirect declaration, that Jesus himself was the 
very God who healed the leper, and who also received the glory 
that was due for the divine work : which is still further evident 
from the circumstance of the Lord's approving the faith of the 
leper, because it was directed immediately to him. 

2. Matt. i. 21 to 23. Speaking of the birth of Jesus, the an- 
gel first says, that he* shall save his jwople from their sins ; and 
afterwards it is declared, that " then was fulfilled that which was 
" spoken by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with 
* 4 child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call his name 
" Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." This 
passage speaks for itself, and therefore requires no comment. 

3. Matt. iv. 5 to 7. When the devil tempted Jesus, the lat- 
ter replied, " It is written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy 
« God." 

4. Mark ii. 5, 7, 12. When Jesus said to the sick of the pal- 
sy, " Son, thy sins be forgiven thee," it was justly asked even by 
the scribes, " Who can forgive sins, bid God only?" And so 
far was this reflection from being discountenanced by Jesus, that 



* He himself. See Bishop Pearson on the Creed, or the original Greek. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 185 



it was rather confirmed by his asking, « Whether is it easier to 
" say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee, or to 
" say, Arise, and take up thy bed and walk ?" Plainly intimat- 
ing, that to an Omnipotent God in human form it is alike easy 
either to restore the spirit, or to heal the body. 

5. Mark xi. 14, 21, 22. On Peter's observing, that the fig-tree, 
which had been cursed, was withered away, " Jesus answering 
" saith unto them, Have faith in God," meaning faith in Him- 
self, who had done such a marvellous work. 

6. Luke xviii. 41 to 43. The blind man, who had received his 
sight by the mere word of Jesus, immediately followed him, glo- 
rifying God. To follow Jesus, as he did, is therefore to glorify 
God, because it is acknowledging him to be vested with omnipo- 
tence, thus to be God in human form. 



7. Luke xix. 37, 38. 

8. Luke xxii. 16, 18, 30. 

9. Luke xxiii. 42, 43. 

10. John i. 1, 3, 10, 14, 15. 

11. John viii. 19. 

12. John viii. 24, 25, 27. 

13. John viii. 51 to 58. 

14. John x. 27 to 30. 

15. John xi. 4. 

16. John xi. 25, 26, 40, 43, 44. 

17. John xiii. 31, 32. 

18. John xiv. 1. 

19. John xiv. 7, 9. 



20. John xvi. 13 to 15. 

21. John xx. 25 to 28. 

22. Apoc. i. 8, 11, 13, 17, 18. 

23. Apoc. v. 12 to 14. 

24. Apoc. vii. 9 to 12. 

25. Apoc. vii. 15, 17, 

26. Apoc. xi. 15, 17. 

27. Apoc. xvii. 14. 

28. Apoc. xxi. 7, 22, 23. 

29. Apoc. xxi. 23j an d chap, 
xxii. 5. 

30. Apoc. xxii. 6, 16, 



In all these passages, and many more of similar tendency, 
either the character or the name of Deity, and very frequently 
both together, rest only with Him, of whom Moses, the Prophets, 
the Psalms, and the Evangelical Books, so constantly treat, and 
who by them all is declared to be no less than the great Jeho- 
vah himself appearing among men under the veil of Humanity, 
and thus leading them, in a way accommodated to their weak= 

Aa 



186 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



ness and prejudices, to the ultimate perception and acknowledg- 
ment of his Divinity. 



[68.] Luke xviii. 16. " Suffer little children to come U7itG me, 
" and forbid them not ; for of such is the kingdom of God." 

Nothing else is meant in the New Testament by the kingdom 
of God, or the kingdom of heaven, but the advent of Jehovah 
God into the world, and the consequent acknowledgment of Je- 
sus Christ as that God manifested in the flesh, together with all 
the felicities resulting from such acknowledgment in heart, under- 
standing, and life. Now as no one can see or comprehend this 
great truth by the mere light of nature, or by the highest efforts 
of human understanding unaided or unenlightened by divine re- 
velation ; and as this divine light can only be obtained by first 
acknowledging, that of ourselves we are mere ignorance and 
darkness, and that, like helpless infants, we can take or acquire 
nothing of truth, unless it be given us from above, John iii. S7 i 
we may hence see the reason w r hy the Lord said to his disciples, 
that the kingdom of God is accessible to such only as are of a 
character humble and teachable, like that of little children, and 
who thus come unto and acknowledge him in the capacity already 
described. Hence, further, we perceive the just application of 
the words of Jesus concerning the rich man, (the man w^ho 
abounds in science, and prides himself in self-derived intelli- 
gence,) " How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the 
" kingdom of God ! For it is easier for a camel to go through a 
" needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of 
« God, r 'Luke xviii. 24, 25. 

To come unto Jesus, therefore, as a little child, that is, in hu- 
mility, innocence, and a teachable sjririt, in order to receive from 
him all that constitutes true wisdom, love, and happiness, is the 
genuine characteristic of a Christian, the very passport which in- 
troduces within the gates of heaven, and gives the bearer a title to 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 187 



an everlasting mansion in the kingdom of God. And if so, then 
Jesus himself must be no less than God ; because such abase- 
ment of self in spiritual things cannot be due from one man to 
another, but is solely required in our approaches to the Deity. 



JOHN. 



[PRELIMINARY.] 

IN none of the Gospels does the doctrine of the sole, su- 
preme, and exclusive Divinity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
Christ appear more conspicuous, more certain, and more incon- 
trovertible, than in that of the beloved disciple Johno Whether 
we consider the number of passages, which yield this doctrine 
even in the letter, (to say nothing of the spiritual sense, which 
every -where establishes it,) or the happy simplicity of sentiment 
and expression, which distinguishes it among the Sacred Wri- 
tings, it must ever be regarded as one of the most powerful wea- 
pons in defence of the truth, that was ever entrusted in the hands 
of man. 



[69.] JOHN i. 1, 5, 10, 14. «In the beginning was the 
" Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word. 
" All things were made by him ; and without him was not any 
" thing made that was made. He was in the world, and the 
" world was made by him, and the world knew him not. And the 
" Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his 
66 glory, the glory as of the Only-begotten of the Father, J full of 
" grace, and truth." 



188 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



The Word, called in Greek Logos, interiorly considered, is 
divine wisdom, divine truth, or divine light; and this being 
inseparable from God, is therefore called God, because there is 
nothing belonging to God, whether it be in respect to his essence 
or his person, but what really and truly is God. God, therefore, 
as to the Word, or as to the divine truth of the Word, came down 
into the world, which was created by him ; and yet the world 
knew him not. The same God also became a Man, when the 
Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. How well does this 
apply to the person and character of Jesus Christ, who repeat- 
edly declares himself to be the truth, the light, and the life ! 
The Evangelist adds, " And we beheld his glory, the glory as 
" of the Only-begotten of the Father :" which is as much as to 
say, The glory, in which he appeared while on earth, was not the 
glory as of the Father, or as of the purely divine essence itself, 
because this glory is utterly inaccessible to the creature ; but the 
glory as of the Son, the Humanity, or the Only-begotten of the 
Father ; that glory, which he displayed in the character and ca- 
pacity of a Divine Man, and which, though accommodated to 
the eye of the beholder, yet beamed forth through the veil of his 
flesh with a lustre and a splendor surpassing all human descrip- 
tion. 



[70.] John i. 18. <; J\To man hath seen God at any time ;* the 
a only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath 
^ declared him" 

* As to essence— so likewise His said in 1 John iv. 12. and so in Exodus 
sxxiii. 20. Thou canst not see my face, for there shall no man see my face 
and live. But " the only-begotten son he hath revealed him" at all times. 
Moses and others saw God— who but the manifested Jehovah or son ? and 
did eat and drink, Exod. xxiv. 9, 11. Jacob wrestled with an angel in the 
form of a ma?^ and Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, or the pre- 
sence of God, for, said he, I have seen God face to face, and my life is pre- 
served, Gen. xxxii. 24, 30. Who could this Angel be but the Angel or 
messenger (same word in the original) of the Covenant mentioned, Mai- iii. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c 189 



If no mere man has ever seen the Father, who is here called 
God, then it follows, that Jesus, who is here called the only-be- 
gotten Son, must be more than a mere man, nay more than an 
angel or any other finite being, because he resides in the very 
bosom of the Father, that is to say, because he is intimately pre - 
sent and united with the yure Divinity itself; which can never 
be said of either man or angel. Jehovah the Father says to 
Moses, s< There shall no man see me, and live," Exod. xxxiii. 20 : 
and yet Jesus declares of himself, " He who is God, even he 
66 hath seen the Father" John vi. 4§. 

Can any evidence be stronger and more pointed than this, in 
favour of the infinite pre-eminence of Jesus over all that bears 
the name of creature ? Sink, Unitarian, sink into the dust at the 
presence of Him, who is thus clothed with honour and majesty 
divine. No longer seek to dethrone or degrade the Saviour of 
the world ; but yield him the glory, which he claims, and to 
which he is so justly entitled ; " for he is thy Lord, and worship 
"thou him," Ps. xlv. 11. 



[71.] John ii. 24, 25. « But Jesus did not commit himself 
" unto them, because he knew all men, and needed not that any 
" should testify of man : for he knew ivhat was in man" 

To know the hearts, the affections, and the thoughts of all men? 
or to perceive from first to last all that is in man, is certainly not 
within the province of any finite being, but exclusively of him, 
whose " understanding is infinite," Ps. cxlvii. 5 ; and who says, 
" I Jehovah search the heart, I try the reins," Jer. xvii. 10. 
Ps. vii. 9. " I know the things that come into your mind, every 
" one of them," Ezek. xi. 5. What then is to be said in a case 

1. Likewise he who is called " presence of God," Exod. xxxiii. 14, 15 and 
the angel of his presence, Isa. lxiii. 9. who is called Christ, 1 Cor. x. 9. 
Christ is likewise called the Similitude of Jehovah, Numb, xii, 8. Compare 
Acts vii. 38— -See Parkhurst, art, Character.— Am. Pub, 



190 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



like this, where the very same attribute of omniscience, which be- 
longs only to the infinite and eternal Jehovah, is yet positively 
and deliberately ascribed to the Man Jesus? What can be said 
with any degree of consistency either with revelation, or with 
the common reason of mankind, but that both names, Jehovah 
and Jesus, denote only one and the same Divine Being? 



[72.] John iii. 13. " No man hath ascended up to heaven, 
"but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man, who 
" is in heaven." 



That Jesus, who is also called the Son of Man, was present in 
heaven, even while he was upon the earth, is here plainly de- 
clared 5 and therefore from the nature of the attribute ascribed 
to him we may justly conclude, not only that he is more than a 
mere man, or the son of a mere man, as some Unitarians interpret 
the phrase, but that he is the Supreme and Omnipresent God, 
who, in respect to the divine truth of his Word, equally existing 
in the heavens above, and in the church below, is so frequently 
termed the Son of Man; such divine truth, received in the un- 
derstanding and in the heart, being that alone, which constitutes 
the essential principle of Humanity. 

And here, by the way, having named an objection started by 
Unitarians against the phrase Son of Man, with their proposed 
amendment of the same, in order to make it tally the better with 
their idea of the mere humanity of Jesus, whom they would in 
future call the son of a man, let us spend a moment in it's exami- 
nation. When the elders of the Jewish people, with the chief 
priests and scribes, asked Jesus, saying, " Art thou the Christ ? 
• ; tell us 5" among other things he observed to them, " Hereafter 
" shall the Son of Man sit on the right hand of the power of God 
on which they all immediately said, " Art thou then the Son of 
" God?" Luke xxii. 66 to 70. From this passage it appears, 
that they considered the two phrases, Son of Man, and Son of 
God, to be nearly, if not perfectly synonimous ; and that they at 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 191 



least, unlike some Unitarians of the present day, did not regard 
the former as any proof or avowal of his mere humanity, but on 
the contrary as a name expressive of some divine quality similar 
to that of Son of God. 

In agreement with this the Lord himself also says, " Except 
u ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, ye have 
64 no life in you," John vi. 53. Surely the flesh and the blood of 
a mere man, or of the son of a mere man, can never communicate 
that spiritual and eternal life, which is here alluded to. 

Again, in another place he says, " Then shall ye see the Son of 
" Man coming in the clouds of heaven, with great power and 
" glory : and then shall he send (mark, the Son of Man shall 
" send) his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the 
" four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth, to the uttermost 
" part of the heaven," Mark xiii. 26, 27. Are these expressions 
and predictions applicable to the son of a man ? Does any mere 
son of a man keep in his charge, and at his beck and call, beings 
of angelic make ? and will such an one hereafter depute them at 
pleasure to accomplish his purposes of election and universal so- 
vereignty in heaven and on earth ? Preposterous to the last de- 
gree is the idea; and therefore most deservedly is it to be reject- 
ed, together with the doctrine that stands in need of such aid, 
or that gives birth to such a mere phantasm of the imagination, 



[73.] John iii. 31. " He that cometh from above, is above all; 
U he that is of the earth, is earthly, and speaketh of the earth : he 
" that cometh from heaven, is above all." 



Jesus said, " The bread of God is he who cometh doivn from 
" heaven, and giveth life unto the world : I am the bread of life : I 
" am the bread which came down from heaven," John vi. 33, 35, 
41. He therefore is the great personage, of whom John the Baptist 
spoke, when he said, " He that cometh from heaven, is above all ;" 
and if he be above all, he cannot be less than God. 



192 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



[74.] John iii. 34. " He, whom God hath sent, speak eth the 
" words of God : for God giveth not the spirit by measure unto 
" him." 



Every finite being, every created subject, capable of receiving 
the spirit or influence proceeding from God, must of necessity, 
by the very condition of his nature, receive it by measure, that is* 
partially, and not in all iVs fulness or totality ; because what is 
infinite can never be included within, or comprehended by, a 
finite capacity. This is so self-evident, that it requires neither 
proof nor comment. But of Jesus it is said, that God, or the 
Essential Divinity, giveth not the spirit by measure unto him. He, 
therefore, who is capable of receiving into himself, that is, into 
his Humanity, the ivhole fulness, the unfathomable abyss or ocean 
of Divinity, can neither be a mere man, nor a mere angel, nor a 
mere creature of any rank or denomination, no nor a mere parti- 
cipator in Divinity as one of three co-equally divine persons ; but 
he must be himself in his own proper person the whole God, the 
sole God, and nothing less but God, in a divinely -human form. 
Such is the Divine Man Jesus Christ, who speaketh the words 
of God, who doeth the works of God, and who consequently is 
alone entitled to the name of God. 



[75.] John iii. 35. " The Father loveth the Son, and hath given 
^ all things into his hand." 

The Father being the Essential Divinity, and the Son the Di- 
vine Humanity, in one and the same person, it is said, that the 
Father hath given all things into the hand of the Son, to denote 
that all the powers, attributes, and perfections of Deity are cen- 
tered in, and exercised by, the divine human form of our Lord 
and Saviour Jesus Christ; comparatively as all the powers and 
faculties of the human soul are united with, and also exercised 
by, the human body. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, Sec. 



193 



Or, to place the subject in another point of view, which is still 
ia perfect harmony with the preceding explanation ; the Father 
may be considered as the divine love, and the Son as the divine 
wisdom of one and the same God. Now all the proceedings or 
operations of Deity, in respect to the redemption and salvation 
of man, inasmuch as they take their rise in the divine love, may 
therefore be said to originate with the Father. But as the divine 
love does not, and cannot act effectually, except in concur- 
rence with, and by means of, the divine wisdom, which is the Son; 
and as consequently every thing belonging to the divine love is 
thus as it were transferred to the divine wisdom, so as to be 
wholly united with it, it is hence easy to discern the true reason 
why it is written, that " the Father loveth the Son, and hath given 
" all things into his hand." The divine wisdom here spoken of 
is no other than the Word made flesh ; and this possesses in it- 
self, and likewise communicates to man, the whole and sole pow- 
er of salvation ; because he, who is the God of the Word, never 
acts separately from it, but always in and by means of it. 

Thus, when the Lord declares, by his Evangelist, that the Fa- 
ther hath given all things into the hands of the Son, he thereby 
instructs us, that all the divine operations, in producing the re- 
formation, regeneration, salvation, and final happiness of man, 
are entirely conducted from and by the Sacred Scriptures or 
Word, and never by any immediate influx from himself separate- 
ly from it. It was by reason of this great truth, that the Lord, 
in assuming the Humanity, assumed also the Word even in the 
letter ; that he realized and accomplished in himself the whole of 
it's contents from first to last, insomuch that he actually became 
the Word incarnate, and thereby for ever identified it with him- 
self and all his Divinity. And hence we may now see what is 
implied in that singular confession of the Psalmist to Jehovah^ 
4i Thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy yiame^ Ps- 
exxxviii. 2. 



i94 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



[76.] John iii. 36. « He that believeth on the Son, hath ever* 
" lasting life : and he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life ; 
" but the wrath of God abideth on him." 

It is no where written, " He that believeth on th& Father, hath 
64 everlasting life but « He that believeth on the Son." And 
indeed all the promises set forth in the Gospel have respect to 
faith in the Son ; and for this reason, because faith in the Son 
necessarily includes faith in the Father, who is within the Son, 
as the soul is within the body : whereas faith directed to the Fa- 
ther out of, above, and distinct from the Son, inasmuch as it is a 
faith in no object capable of being apprehended by the mind, is so 
far from being a true and living faith, that it is in reality a faith 
in no God ; because out of Jesus Christ no God whatever is to 
be found in the universe. Hence all worship founded on this 
latter faith necessarily relapses into Deism, Naturalism, Material- 
ism, and finally into Atheism. So true is it, that " he who be- 
" lieveth not the Son, shall not see life ; but the wrath of God 
" abideth on him." If then such be the important consequences 
of believing, or not believing, in the Son, that is, in Jesus, can 
he be less than the true God, and eternal life ? 



[77.] John iv. 14. " Whosoever drinketli of the water that I 

" shall give him, shall never thirst : but the water, that I shall 

64 give him, shall be in him a well of water springing up into 
" everlasting life." 

No mere man, no angel, can of and from himself communicate 
such living water, as shall be capable of supplying the wants and 
desires of every immortal spirit. God, who is the sole fountain 
of life, can alone bestow so divine a gift. Jesus, therefore, who 
promised, and who can also perform it, must be God. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 193 



[78.] John v. 17, 18. "Jesus answered them, My Father 
66 worketh hitherto, and I ivork. Therefore the Jews sought the 
« more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, 
" but said also, that God was his Father, making himself equal with 
« God." 



Jesus here declares, that his works were performed by the Fa- 
ther and himself, that is, by the Divinity and the Humanity united. 
On which account, and because he called God, or the Divinity, his 
Father, the Jews charged him with making himself equal with God: 
which charge, so far from denying it, he in the subsequent verses 
plainly acknowledges and justifies, saying, "Whatsoever things 
" the Father doth, these also doth the Son likewise," ver. 19. " As 
" the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them 5 even so the 
" Son quickeneth whom he will" ver. 21. And again, " The Father 
" judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son, 
66 that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Fa- 
"ther: he -that honoureth not the Son, honour eth not the Father? 
" who hath sent him," ver. 22, 23. 

The great solicitude, which Jesus appears to manifest in estab- 
lishing the same honour and respect in favour of the Son, that is, of 
himself as to his Divine Humanity, which are due to the Father, 
that is, to himself likewise as to his Essential Divinity, cannot but 
be received as strong and satisfactory evidence, not only that he 
was in the continued act of making himself equal with God, but 
also that we are called upon to acknowledge him alone as the true 
Object of our worship, because in his divine person thus made 
equal, nay one with God, is contained all that belongs to, or is 
called, God. 

Most singularly coincident with the present passage is that in 
the prophet Zechariah, where the very treatment, which our Lord 
actually received from the Jewish people, for thus equalizing 
himself with Jehovah, is particularly announced and described. 
" One shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? 
" Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the 
" house of my friends. Awake, O sword, against my Shepherd, 
« and against the Man that is my Fellow, (Heb. the mighty Man 



196 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



" my Companion,) saith Jehovah of hosts: smite the Shepherd, 
" and the sheep shall be scattered," Zech. xiii. 6, 7. The wounds 
in his hands, received in the house of his friends, evidently al- 
lude, in the literal sense of the words, to the crucifixion of Jesus 
by the Jews, who are called his friends, because they were (re- 
presentatively at least) the church and people of God. But, spi- 
ritually understood, the same wounds in his hands signify a de- 
nial of his being the Omnipotent God in human form, whether it 
be on the part of Jews or of Christians : for, as the hand in the 
human body is the organ of it's power, so in reference to the 
Lord it denotes his divine power: hence to wound his hands, is 
to deny his divinity, especially his divine attribute of omnipo- 
tence. 

Again, when Jehovah says, " Awake, O sword, against my 
" Shepherd, against the JIan that is my Fellow," how plainly 
does this appear to be accomplished in the persecution which was 
raised by the Jews, and in the deadly enmity which they breath- 
ed, against the person of Jesus, against the very Man, who made 
himself the Equal, the Companion, or the Fellow of Jehovah! 
who also declared himself to be " the good Shepherd, who givetk 
" his life for the sheep !" John x. 11 ; and who, when about to be 
smitten, said to his disciples, " All ye shall be offended because 
" of me this night ; for it is written, I will smite the Shepherd, 
" and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad!" Matt, 
zxvi. 31. 

Comparing the prophecy with the facts which took plaee in, 
upon, and relative to Jesus ; and considering well the cause or 
reason why he was persecuted and rejected by the Jews, viz. that 
it was purely on account of the truth which he taught, the good 
which he did, and especially because he avowed himself to be of 
divine origin, the descendant of Jehovah with respect to his in- 
terior Humanity, and Jehovah himself with respect to his Es- 
sential Divinity, thus at one time and in one respect the Ser- 
vant of Jehovah, at another time and in another respect the 
Equal or Fellow of Jehovah, and in the highest respect One 
and the Same with him ; how evident must it be to a reflecting 
mind, that all arguments sought for and urged against the sole 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 197 



and exclusive Divinity of Jesus, must be no other than so many- 
attempts to confirm the opinion of Jews, and to raze the very 
foundations of the true Christian temple ! 



[79.] John v. 26. " As the Father hath life in himself, so hath 
" he given to the Son to have life in himself" 

No finite or created being can be said to have life in himself $ 
the very expression implying life uncreated, underived, and con- 
sequently self-existent and divine. Such life hath the Father, 
such also hath the Son : wherefore, as there can be only one such 
life, and only One Being in whom it is to be found, it follows, 
that the Father and the Son, which are two terms expressive of 
invisible essence and visible form, are together that One. Thus 
we see, that, as Jesus the Son hath the same power, the same ho- 
nour, and the same life, as Jehovah the Father, he must also be 
divine ; and if divine, he must be God; and if God, he must be 
the Supreme and Only God, for more than One God cannot be gi- 
ven, and must not be imagined. 

[80.] John v. 40. " Ye will not come to me, that ye might 
" have life." 

No man will approach Jesus, with the view of obtaining from 
him eternal life, unless he believe him to be God. Unitarians 
deny his Divinity ; and Trinitarians will only allow him a cer- 
tain portion of it, according to a well-known scale of their own 
invention. The consequence is, that neither of thein will apply 
to him alone ; and both, but especially the former, become obnox- 
ious to the same charge, as was brought by our Lord against the 
Jews of old, « Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life." 

Now if Jesus be " the way, the truth, and the life," John xiv. 
6 5 and if in another place he says, « Come unto me, all ye that 



198 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



" labour, and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest" Matt, 
xi. 28 ; what other conclusion can we draw from these conside- 
rations, but that Jesus himself is the fountain and source of life, 
the legitimate Object of all worship, and consequently the true 
God, who can alone hear and answer prayer ? 

[81.] John vi. 46. " Not that any man hath seen the Father* 
" save he who is of God, he hath seen the Father 



Jiere Jesus plainly distinguishes himself from all other men, 
declaring that he alone hath seen the Father, or the purely divine 
essence, which yet cannot be seen by any finite eye. Jehovah 
said to Moses, " Thou canst not see my face : for there shall no 
" man see me, and live" Exod. xxxiv. 20. But Jesus hath seen 
the Father, and yet lives! lives as a Man too ! though most es- 
sentially differing from all other men, in that the constituent 
principles of Humanity take their origin in him, while with all 
others they exist only by derivation from him J Surely then it 
must be evident, that he, who alone is capable of sustaining the 
full presence of Deity, and of beholding it's infinitely transcend- 
ent glories, nay of collecting them into his own person, as into 
their proper centre, is and can be no other than the Supreme 
God himself, visiting his creatures in a kind of amiable disguise, 
that in the end he may make himself known to such of them, as 
will open their hearts and their understandings to receive him. 



[82.] John vi. 51 to 54. " I am the living bread, which came 
« down from heaven : if any man eat of this bread, he shall live 
"forever: and the bread that I will give, is my flesh, which 
" I will give for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove 
" amongst themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh 
" to eat ? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily verily I say unto 
" you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, Sec. 199 



56 his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and 
i6 drinketh my blood, hath eternal life ; and I will raise him up 
" at the last day." 

To eat the flesh, and to drink the blood, of the Son of Man, is 
to receive spiritual nourishment from the Word ; and as his flesh 
is the divine good, and his blood the divine truth, both of which 
are necessary to salvation, therefore Jesus, who is the Son of 
Man, or the Word itself made Man, declares, that whoso eateth 
his flesh, and drinketh his blood, receives in the very act that 
which constitutes eternal life. But in the nature of things eter- 
nal life cannot be in the gift of any mere man, nor of any created 
being whatever. W T hence it follows, that Jesus, who came down 
from heaven to give his flesh and his blood (not as a sacrifice in 
the room of sinners, but as heavenly food) for the life of the 
world, must be the Preserver of that life, and consequently the 
Supreme God, from whom alone it is derived. 



[83.] John vi. 63. « The words that I speak unto you, they 
" are spirit, and they are life." 

If the very words, which proceed from Jesus, are both spirit 
and life, what must He Himself be in his own essence and per- 
son ! We know, that all life proceeds from God, and that it can 
have only one source and fountain. Jesus, therefore, who claims 
to be this fountain of life, and whose Word is an oracle of truth, 
must himself be the one self-essent, self-existent, and life-inspir- 
ing God. 



[84.] John vi. 64. " Jesus knew from the beginning who 
they were that believed not, and who should betray him" 



200 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



Such knowledge as this is too much for any mere man to pos- 
sess 5 but being possessed by Jesus, it conspires with all the other 
attributes of perfect Mind to give us an idea of his divine cha- 
racter. 



[85.] John vi. 67, 68. " Jesus said unto the twelve, Will ye 
" also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to 
" whom shall we go ? thou hast the words of eternal life? 9 

If Jesus be the only Object, to whom the approach of the heart 
and the thought should be directed, in prayer, in praise, and in 
worship ; and if indeed the words, and at the same time the gift 
of eternal life be with him ; to what end and purpose can it be to 
seek for, or to apply to, any other ? Can a man desire more than 
eternal life ? Or can he hope to receive it from more than one, 
only source ? Jesus is declared to be this source : therefore Je- 
sus is declared to be the One Only God. 



[86.] John vii. 18. " He that speaketh of himself, seeketh his 
" own glory : but he that seeketh the glory of him that sent him, 
" the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him* 9 

Jesus here speaks of himself as being sent by the Father, and 
seeking not his own glory, but the glory of the Father; and then 
adds, « The same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him?* 
From which particulars we learn and perceive as follows : 1. That 
he himself, while on earth, was the truth, as he likewise plainly 
declares in other places. 2. That in the character or quality of 
truth, particularly of that truth, which is accommodated to the 
reception of mankind, he is said to be sent by the Father, which 
is the same thing as to proceed from him : and as we know, that 
all truth proceeds from good, or all wisdom from love, therefore 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



we are assured, that by the term Father is meant the divine good? 
or the divine love, 3. That as light proceeding from the sun per- 
petually indicates the glory of it's source, and is of itself, or con- 
sidered separately from it's source, comparatively as nothing ; so 
truth, and especially divine truth, perpetually points out and leads 
to divine good or divine love, ever exalting it as it were above it- 
szlf, as being that radical, original, and fundamental principle, 
from which all the divine operations and providences take their 
rise, and to which every thing appertaining to wisdom, know- 
ledge, and science, are merely subservient. And hence, 4. We 
see the true ground and reason why it is said, that Jesus seeketh 
not his own glory, but the glory of him that sent him, viz. because 
while on earth, or in his state of humiliation in the infirm huma- 
nity, he had perpetual respect to the divine principle within him, 
or the divine love, called the Father, from which he came forth, 
and to which he was a°;ain returning. 

But it is further written of Jesus, yea pronounced by his own 
lips, that " no unrighteousness is in him being the very ivords 
used by the Psalmist in reference to Jehovah, Ps. xcii. 15. And 
in John viii. 46, Jesus challenges even his enemies to convict him 
of sin : whereas of all others, the children of men, it is expressly 
declared, " There is no man that sinneth not," 1 Kings viii. 46. 
<; They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy ; 
" there is none that doth good, no not one Ps. xiv. 3. Hence 
again we learn, and with all the certainty of truth conclude, that 
Jesus, and Jesus alone, in the capacity which we now contem- 
plate, as being exempt from evil, exempt from crime, exempt from 
all that characterizes mere humanity, is and must be the Supreme 
Good, as well as the Supreme Truth ; and therefore that the Sent 
of God is no other than God himself, appearing in the world in a 
way accommodated to the wants and necessities of his fallen 
creatures, who by light from heaven can alone find their way back 
to heaven, 



202 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



[87.] John vii. 37, 38. « In the last day, that great day of the 
" feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him 
" come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the 
" Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living 
" water." 



Such are the words of Jesus ; and similar are the words of Je- 
hovah by his prophet: "Ho! every one that thirsteth, come 
" ye to the waters ; and he that hath no money ; come ye, buy 
" and eat, yea come, buy wine and milk without money, and 
" without price. Incline your ear, and come unto me," Isa. ly. 
1,3. " Jehovah shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy 
" soul in drought, and make fat thy bones : and thou shalt be 
" like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters 
"fail not," Isa. lviii. 11. " For I will pour water upon him 
* fi that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground," Isa. xliv. 3. 

To whom now shall we make our approaches ? to whom shall 
we apply for this water of life? to Jehovah, or to Jesus ? Th* 
former pronounces himself to be " the fountain of living waters," 
Jer. ii. 13. The latter says, " Whosoever drinketh of the water, 
" that I shall give him, shall never thirst ; but the water, that I 
£i shall give him, shall be in him a well of water springing up 
" into everlasting life," John iv. 14. And he adds in another 
place, " Let him that is athirst, come : and ivhosoever will, let 
" him take the water of life freely," Apoc. xxii. 17. In both 
cases the invitation is universal, embracing men of every clime 
and every age : and in the passages adduced no reference what- 
ever appears to be made, by either the one or the other of the 
speakers, to any fountain or source of life different and distinct 
from himself? but each puts in his respective claim upon the hear- 
er, with an injunction to follow him, and Mm alone. And yet 
both are acknowledged, by the church at least, to be Oracles of 
divine wisdom, or of divine truth. 

How then must an humble member of the church conduct him- 
self in a point of such essential consequence, as the selection oi 
an Object for his faith, his love, and his worship, to rest upon ? 
seeing that the voice of Jehovah from the Old Testament, and 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, 8cc. 



203 



the voice of Jesus from the New, are equally sounding in his ears ? 
We know, that the Divine Being or Essence, called Jehovah, is 
justly entitled to the adoration of every intelligent creature, and 
that no other God must be set in competition with him. But we 
know also, that as an essence, abstractedly considered, he is invU 
sible and utterly incomprehensible to any finite understanding. 
He must, therefore, if he would make himself known, present 
himself to his creatures under some form, capable of being seen, 
apprehended, and embraced, as a divine substance or person, in 
which all the divine attributes, qualities, and perfections may be 
concentrated and thus embodied. 

Under this view of the subject, the form and the essence to» 
gether must of necessity be so identified as one, that neither of 
them will admit of actual separation from the other ; though they 
may be spoken of, and in part described, in different and distinct 
terms. Whenever, then, we would think of the divine essence,\t 
follows, that we must at the same time ascribe to it the divine 
form / and when contrariwise we would think of the divine form, 
we must also in the same moment ascribe to it the divine essence. 
Now the Sacred Scriptures inform us, that the glorified person of 
Jesus Christ is that divine form and substance, which presents 
to the notice and contemplation of man all that can be known or 
perceived of pure Deity : and hence, as it is in the nature of form 
to bring us to an acquaintance with essence, so it is written of 
Jesus Christ, who is called the Son, that he is the medium of 
access to the Father ; by which is understood, that his Divine 
Humanity is the gate of introduction to his Essential Divi- 
nity. 

In this way we are led to see the reasonableness and the truth 
of genuine Christianity, and are enabled to harmonize the appa- 
rently discordant points of revelation, which have so long per- 
plexed the pious and sincere members of the church, while they 
furnished matter of unrighteous triumph to the sons of infidelity. 
And in the same way we perceive, that, while Jehovah and Je- 
sus both claim to be the sole fountain of living waters, there is still 
only one such fountain, because there is still only One God ; the 
name Jehovah denoting the invisible essence* and the name Je.- 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



sus the visible form, of one and the same infinite and eternal 
Being. 

Keeping now these sentiments in view, and directing our eves 
and our hearts to Jesus alone, as to that divine form, in whom 
is the divine essence in all it's fulness of glory, let us, with the 
millions of thirsty souls pressing forward to receive the blessing, 
address, in the words of David, David's Lord : " As the hart 
"panteth after the water-brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, 0 
" God: my soul thirsteth for God, for the living God" Ps. xlii, 
6 f 1, 2, " 0 thou that nearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come : 
"thou visitestthe earth, and water est it : thou greatly enrichest it 
¥ with the river of God, which is full of water," Ps. Ixv. 2> 9* 



[88.] John vii. 46. 4 » ^Vercr mm spake like this Man. 19 

Though these words were uttered by the officers, whom the 
chief priests and Pharisees had sent to apprehend Jesus, yet we 
are to assume, that they contain a divine truth : and indeed, 
when we refer to the language actually used by him on many dif- 
ferent occasions, we are compelled to acknowledge, not only that 
lie spake as never man spake, but also that his words were aecom= 
panied with & power and effects which plainly betokened a Divine 
Agent. A few examples will remove all doubt, if any doubt can 
be entertained on the subject. 

1. " They brought unto him many that were possessed with 
"devils : and he cast out the spirits with his ivord, and healed 
W all that were sick," Matt. viii. 16. Could these effects be pro- 
duced by any thing short of omnipotence itself ? 

2. i; When he was entered into a ship, there arose a great iem« 
6 f pest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the 
f waves. Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea, 
" and there was a great calm," Matt. viii. 23 to x6> Well then 
might the sailors marvel, saying, " What manner of Man is this. 
8i that even the winds and the sea obey him !" ver. 27. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 205 



3. When they brought to Jesus one sick of the palsy, he said 
unto him, " Son, be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee" 
Matt. ix. 2. But the scribes, who were present, said, " Why 
" doth this Man thus speak blasphemies ? Who can forgive sins, 
4 * but God alone ?" Mark ii. 7. Surely then the officers were 
justified in reporting, that " never man spake like this Man." 

4. Jesus said, " Come unto me, all ye that labour, and are 
s < heavy-laden, and I will give you rest" Matt. xi. 28. Did ever 
man so speak before ? 

5. " Where two or three are gathered together " in my name, 
there am I in the midst of them, Matt, xviii. 20. Where else, 
but in Jesus, is to be found an Omnipresent Man ? 

6. " Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not 
" pass away," Matt. xxiv. 35. Again it may be asked, Did ever 
man speak like this Man ? 

7. " Jesus spake unto them, saying, " Ml power is given unto 
6i me in heaven and in earth : and lo, I am with you alway even 
X unto the end of the world," Matt, xxviii, 18, 20. W^hat man, 
since the beginning of the creation, ever claimed to himself the 
divine attributes of omnipotence and omnipresence, besides this 
Man? 

8. When " Jesus saw a fig-tree, having nothing but leaves, he 
a said unto it, JVo man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And 
" in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig-tree dried 
" up by the roots," Mark xi. 12 to 14, 20. What must be thought 
of a Being in the form of a Man, at the sound of whose voice even 
nature shrinks as it were into nothing ? Can he be any thing short 
of a God-Man, that is, a Divine Man ? 

9. Jesus said unto his disciples, " These are the words which 
a I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must 
< 6 be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the 
M Prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning me," Luke xxiv. 44. 
What other man ever made so high a pretension, as to set himself 
up as the great Subject of divine revelation ? the great Object 
referred to in all the historical, typical, and prophetical parts of 
the W ord, as well as in the Psalms of David ? None. We hold 



206 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



it, therefore, as an eternal truth. That " never man spake like 
" this Man." 

10. Jesus again said, " I am the living bread, which came down 
"from heaven : if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for 
a ever" John vi. 51. Did language like this ever proeeed from 
other lips, than the lips of Jesus ? 

11. " If ye believe not that I am, ye shall die in your sins,'* 
John viih 24, For " verily verily I say unto you, Before Jlbra- 
& ham was, lam," yer. 58. Never, never can this be the descrip- 
tion of a mere man. 

12. Jesus said, " I am the resurrection and the life : he that 
" believeth in me, though Jie were dead, yet shall he live. And 
" he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that 
" was dead came forth," John xi. 25, 43, 44. Did ever man 
speak with such authority, and such effect, as this, besides the 
Divine Man, whose voice alone is capable of imparting life to all 
who hear him, love him, and obey him ? Justly and truly then 
may it be said, with all those who "bare him witness, and won- 
a dered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth," 
Luke iv. 22, and in the language of the officers sent to apprehend 
him, but who, on hearing the words of Jesus, instead of execut- 
ing the order, returned to their masters in the utmost astonish- 
ment, and protested, saying, " Never man spake like this Man." 



[89.] John viii. 19. The Pharisees said unto Jesus, " Where 
"is thy Father ? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my 
il Father : if ye had known me, ye would have known my Father 

" also." 



The Pharisees, who judged only after the flesh, (ver. 15,) knew 
Indeed Joseph the reputed father of Jesus, and Mary his mother, 
with the other branches of the family, according to mere natural 
affinity : but as they were wholly ignorant of his divine genealogy? 
that is, of his descent from Jehovah in respect to his interior 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. £07 

iiuman essence, and of the character which in truth he came in- 
to the world to sustain, as both God and Man united in one per- 
son, therefore our Lord plainly told them, that they neither knew 
him nor his Father ; that is to say, they neither knew the mani- 
fested nor the unmanifested Deity. Had he been in all re- 
spects a mere man, sent, deputed, or commissioned by the Su- 
preme Being to declare his will, like Moses, Elias, or John the 
Baptist, with what colour of truth could he have represented 
himself to be a character so mysterious, so super-human, that the 
knowledge of him was involved in the same obscurity, as the 
knowledge of the invisible God ? The solution of this problem is 
only to be found in the Sacred Scriptures themselves, rightly 
understood ; the key to which was held up to our view by the 
apostle Paul, when he said, " Without controversy, great is the 
" mystery of godliness y—God was manifest in the flesh,' 9 1 
Tim. iii. 16. 



[dO.] John viii. 24. « If ye believe not that J Am, ye shall die 
" in your sins" 

To be the I Am, is to be the one infinite source of all life and 
being; and hence it is one of the first and most expressive names 
of Deity. "When Jehovah appeared to Moses, he declared his 
name to be I Am: « Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Is- 
" rael, I Am hath sent me unto you," Exod. iii. 14. But Jesus 
declares himself to be this I Am, and enforces the truth of his as- 
sertion with the highest sanction of the divine law : " If ye be- 

lieve not that I Am, ye shall die in your sins" It is therefore 
sinful to refuse him the acknowledgment, which he requires; and 
the same penalty attaches to a want of faith in him the manifest- 
ed God, as to a complete denial of the divine essence itself , name- 
ly, death spiritual, death eternal. And this consequence results, 
not in the way of an arbitrary sentence from offended Deity, but 
as an effect inseparable from the very nature of the crime, whe- 
ther it be of a negative or of a positive quality: that is, whether 



208 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



it be a ivith -holding of our faith from being directed towards Je- 
sus as the I Am, or whether it be a full and direct denial of his 
Divinity. For as conjunction with the Deity, in which consists 
eternal life, can only take place while man reverences, obeys, and 
worships him, so of necessity, if man would reap the benefit of 
such conjunction, he must direct his whole faith and his whole 
heart to that divine form, that Divine Man, Jesus Christ, in 
whom alone the divine essence is to be found, or as Paul justly ob- 
serves, in whom alone all the fulness of the Godhead, that is, the 
totality of Divinity, resides or dwells bodily. 



[91.] John viii. 46. 44 Jesus said to the Jews, Which of you 
w convinceth (or rather convicteth) me of sin " 



Is not this as much as to say, 44 I am spotless, perfect, holy, 
44 pure, good ?" And yet there is only One good, and that is 
God. If Jesus, therefore, in the highest sense of the word, be 
the former, he must also be the latter. If in him be 44 no un- 
44 righteousness" at all, no evil, no sin, no unholiness, no impu- 
rity, no imperfection, as to his interior essence and character, 
then he is and must be, in that respect, as he is also expressly 
called by the prophet, 44 Jehovah our Righteousness," Jer. 
xxiii. 6. Jer. xxxiii. 16.* 

* The passage in Jer. xxxiii. 16, has given occasion to many commenta- 
tors to suspect an error in the original, because it has in general been 
thought, that the name Jehovah our Righteousness, which is given to Jeru- 
salem, cannot with any degree of propriety be so applied. And some have 
even ventured to assert, that, on a supposition of the English translation be- 
ing correctly expressed, the Unitarians have good ground to infer, that Jesus 
Christ (understood by the Branch mentioned in ver. 15, and in chap, xxiii. 
5,) is no more entitled to the appellation of Jehovah, than the city Jerusa- 
lem is. But surely this is granting too much to the enemies of our Lord's 
Divinity. For to admit, that the Sacred Scriptures, as we have them in the 
original languages, are corrupted either by accident or design, is in part to 
set afloat the great doctrines of the Christian religion, and to charge the Di- 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



209 



[92.] John viii. 58. " Jesus said unto them, "Verily verily I 
« say unto you, Before Abraham was, I Jim ." 

vine Providence with having" neglected to preserve in their integrity the laws, 
precepts, and ordinances, which he himself commanded his people to keep 
entire, and to observe in all succeeding ages. See Deut. iv. 2. Apoc. xxii, 
18, 19. We hold the Word, therefore, to be perfect and complete as to every 
tittle and iota, agreeably to the tenour of our Lord's own language, when he 
said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away; but my words shall not pass away" 
Matt. xxiv. 35. " It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than " one tittle 
* ( of the law to fail" Luke xvi. 17. The Psalmist likewise says, " The law 
" of the Lord is perfect ; the testimony of the Lord is sure" Ps. xix. 7. And 
the prophet declares, " The Word of our God shall stand for ever" Isa. 
si 8. 

Seeing then there is good reason to believe, that the Word of the Lord 
has been preserved to us entire as to every most minute particular, let us 
advert to the before-cited passage in Jeremiah, and try if we can discover 
the latent cause why in the original it is so expressed, as to appear to give 
the name of Jehovah to the city Jerusalem, when yet it must be admitted, 
that, strictly speaking-, so divine a name can only belong to the Supreme God 
himself. (See Ps, lxxxiii. 18.) The passage is thus rendered : " In those 
" days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely : and this 
" is the name wherewith she shall be called, The Lord our Righteous* 
" stess," Jer. xxxiii. 16. The latter part of the verse may be more literally 
rendered thus : " And this is what he shall call her (or him,) Jehovah our 
" Justice." 

Li the first place it may be observed that the letter H in the Hebrew is 
not only the common sign of the feminine gender, but that it will also bear 
a masculine signification, (as in Ps. cxxxii. 6, and elsewhere; see Note under 
art. 42, p. 134.) by reason of it's being taken from the name Jah or Jehovah, 
and therefore in the highest sense denoting Jehovah himself, that is, the 
Lord ; though in a subordinate sense it expresses a divine quality derived 
from him, and applied to the church, or to Jerusalem, according to it's state 
ef reception. This signification, or reference to the Lord, is plainly confirm* 
ed by the context, as well as by it's collateral passage in Jer. xxiii. 5, 6 ; 
wherein mention is made of the Branch of righteousness, (or of justice,) of 
David, and of a King reigning, and executing judgment and justice in the 
earth : for no person, much less any city, as a mere habitation or assemblage 
•f men, can so properly be said to execute judgment and justice in the earth, 
as Jehovah, and especially Jehovah in the Humanity, that is, Jesus Christ, 
who is every-where meant by the Branch, by David, and by the promised King, 

Dd" 



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What greater proof of the divinity of Jesus can be required* 
or given, than such an assurance of the Eternal Truth ? He doe? 

But, besides these names, various others are made use of to represent the 
Lord, such as Moses, Aaron, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Israel, Judah, Joseph, 
Joshua, Zerubbabel, Cyrus. &c. &c. ; to whom, on account of the high signifi- 
cation which they bear in the Word, divine attributes and qualities are frequent- 
ly ascribed, totally incompatible with the characterof mere humanity belonging- 
to the persons usually understood by those names. Thus, when it is said, that a 
poor but good man " was carried by angels into Abraham's bosom," Luke xvi. 
22, it is plain, that by Abraham is not meant Abraham, but the Lord. And 
when the prophet, speaking of Israel as a child, writes, " Out of Egypt have 
"I called my Son,"Hos. xi. 1, it is equally plain, that the Lord is understood, 
because the passage is so interpreted in Matt. ii. 15. 

And not only do persons represent the Lord, but places also, and inanimate 
things, do the same; as the temple, the tabernacle, the altar, &c. ISTow if the 
names of these persons, places, and things, are given representatively to the 
Lord; so reciprocally the name and attributes of the Lord are sometimes ap- 
plied to them. For example, it is written, "Is this house, -which is called by 
" my name, become a den of robbers ?" Jer. vii. 11, 14; chap, xxxii. 34. The 
same prophet also in the name of the people says, " Thou, O Jehovah, art in 
« the midst cf us, and -we are called by thy name," Jer. xiv. 9. And in his own 
person, as a representative of the Lord, he adds, " I am called by thy name, O 
Si Jehovah God of hosts," Jer. xv. 16. Again it is said, " The house of Da- 
w vid shall be as God," Zech- xii. 8. And in the Psalms the members of the 
church are called Gods: "I have said, Ye are Gods; and all of you are chil- 
M dren of the Most High," Ps. lxxxii. 6. The city Jerusalem is likewise call- 
ed "Jehovah there," Ezek. xlyiii. 35. What wonder then is it, if, in refe- 
rence to the presence of Jehovah in Jerusalem, or in his church and it's doc- 
trine, she should also be called Jehovah our Righteousness; seeing that by 
her name is meant her quality ,° and the quality of the church as a genuine 
church is solely derived from Jehovah, that is, from the Lord; he being in 
himself, and as received by his people, the -whole and sole constituent of all 
their righteousness ? " This is the heritage of the servants of Jehovah ; and 
" their, righteousness is of me, saith Jehovah," Isa liv. 17. To w T hich may be 
added what our Lord says of himself and his church, viz. that in a certain 
sense they may be considered as one, because " he dvtelleth in them, and they in 
« lum" John vi. 56; chap. xiv. 20, 21; chap. xv. 5, 7; chap. xvii. 21 to 23. 
But, as before observed, strictly and properly speaking, there is only One Di- 
vine Being, " whose name alone is Jehovah," and that is " the Mcst High 
f? over all the earth," Ps. lxxxiii. 18. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



211 



not simply assert his pre-existence, before the days of Abraham, 
in the way that even Arians will acknowledge, that is, as still 
having relation to the successions of time* like a mere angel, a 
mere finite creature of yesterday ; and therefore he says not, 
* Before Abraham was, I was f but, entering as it were into his 
pure Esse of life, he declares himself to be the Everlasting I Am, 
that fundamental and original root of all being, which, though 
present in all times, as well as in all spaces, (mere properties of 
created nature,) is yet infinitely above both time and space, bear- 
ing no relation whatever either to the successions of the one, or 
to the extension and mensur ability of the other. Can the Being, 
who with all the authority of divine truth thus characterizes him- 
self a3 the one. self-essent and self -existent God, be yet no other 
than a mere man, or a. mere creature of any description whatever? 
Common sense revolts at the question, and in a tone of most sig- 
nificant indignation replies, " It deserves no answer." 

Admitting that this great and holy God could and did conde- 
scend to clothe himself with our nature, and put on the appear- 
ance of simple humanity, does it follow, that for that reason he 
was actually and truly no more than what he appeared to be ? or 
that he had so far divested himself of his Divinity, as no longer 
to possess it even in his interior essence, because it was not at 
first to be discerned in his exterior form ? On the contrary, is 
it not more just to conclude, that the divine nature and essence 
must ever have been inseparable from him, notwithstanding the 
veil, which was mercifully drawn over it ? Is it not more reason- 
able also to expect, that occasionally, even during the time of 
such humiliation, he would plainly assert his divine character and 

It appears then from all these considerations, that, as divine qualities, which 
are denoted by divine names, are frequently in the Word ascribed to the 
church, by reason of her conjunction or spiritual marriage with the Lord her 
Husband, who thus honours her with a kind of participation in his glory, still 
in the inmost or supreme sense of the various passages, where such names op 
qualities are found so applied, the Lord alone is properly entitled to them, 
though in his divine love he is willing to communicate to his people, accord- 
ing to their capacity of reception, all that he po&sesses in himself, 



212 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



prerogatives, whensoever it seemed good to that inscrutable wis- 
dom, which lay concealed within him ? And lastly, is it to be 
wondered at, or is it to be doubted, as a thing exceeding and 
thereby confounding all faith, that the same God, after having 
performed the great work, for which he came down from heaven 
to earth, should at length lay aside that appearance of mere hu- 
manity, which he had assumed for a time, and return, by resur- 
rection and ascension, into that ineffable glory, which he had in 
himself before all worlds, and which now beams upon his creation 
with a seven-fold splendor ? 

To obtain a right understanding of the Sacred Scriptures, es= 
pecially in reference to the Lord, his descent into the world by 
the assumption of our nature, his states of humiliation, temptation, 
and progressive glorification, till he finally returned to the Father, 
or Divine Essence, from which he came forth, it will on many oc- 
casions be found highly necessary to observe the distinction be- 
tween genuine and apparent truths. The business of explanation, 
in almost all difficult points, consists in properly separating the 
one kind of these from the other, and so arranging them in the 
mind, as to produce a consistent and harmonious view of divine 
revelation. The apparent truths are those in general, which first 
of all present themselves to the notice of man, and which, by 
their adaptation to his imperfect apprehension of heavenly things, 
either lead him on gradually to the genuine truth, or else draw 
him away from it, according to the state and quality of his life, 
When they lead to genuine truth, they in process of time die 
away of themselves, and are at last extinguished as it were by 
the presence of superior light. But when, on the contrary, they 
become the occasion of withdrawing the mind from the percep- 
tions of genuine truth, and are confirmed by fallacious reasonings, 
they then spread a cloud of darkness over every subject of theo- 
logical inquiry, until not a single truth can be seen in it's purity. 

To assist those, who may be desirous of availing themselves of 
the distinction here alluded to, we annex the following Tables, 
which may serve as a kind of Key to unlock some of the doors 
belonging to the Temple of Wisdom, and so give access to the 
holy of holies within that temple, But to those, who have no de- 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 213 



sire to enter, the Key will appear too simple in it's construction 
to merit their attention for a moment. They will therefore, after 
once looking at it, throw it away in contempt, and still remain in- 
capable of passing even the outer gate. 

THE KEY. 

TABLE I. 

Of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, as he is in himself, and 
as he appears to man, it may be truly said, according to the 
Sacred Scriptures, that, 



1. He is love, 

2. He is good, 

3. He is spiritual fire, 

4. He is life itself, 

5. He is the fountain, 

6. He is the principal, 

7. He is the giver, 

8. He is the sender, 

9. He is infinite, 

10. He is immense, 

11. He is eternal, 

12. He is immutable, 

13. He is omnipotent, 

14. He is omniscient, 

15. He is omnipresent, 

16. He is divine, 

17. He is glorified, 

18. He is the owner of all 

things, 

19. He is the dispenser of 

food to the hungry, . . 



and appears wisdom. 

and appears truth. 

and appears spiritual light. 

and appears an organ or reci- 
pient of life. 

and appears the stream. 

and appears the instrument* 

and appears the receiver. 

and appears the sent. 

and appears finite. 

and appears capable of measure. 

and appears temporary. 

and appears mutable. 

and appears infirm. 

and appears ignorant of some 
things. 

and appears subject to locality, 
and appears human, 
and appears crucified, 
and appears destitute of every 
thing, 

and appears hungry and thirsty 
himself. 



214 



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20. He is the Most High, 

$1. He is the Ancient of ") 
days, whose goings I 
forth were from of old, | 
from eternity, J 

£2. He is the King, 

23. He is the Sovereign, 

24. He is Lord and Master,. . . 

25. He is the Husband, ...... 

26. He is the Creator, 

27. He is the Parent, ........ 

28. He is the Father, . . 

29. He is God, 

SO. He is Jehovah, , . 



and appears the Most Lowly, 

and appears the Son of Man 
born in time. 

and appears the minister, 
and appears the messenger, 
and appears a servant, 
and appears a brother, 
and appears a creature, 
and appears a Child, 
and appears the Son, 
and appears Man. 
and appears Jesus. 



TABLE II. 



Again, of the same Divine Being, as Jehovah, it may also be 
said from the Sacred Scriptures, that, 
1, He is a friend, and appears an enemy. 



and appears partial in his fa- 
vours, electing some, and 
rejecting others. 



2. He is good to all with- ^ 

out exception, j 

3. He is merciful, and appears angry. 

4. He is compassionate, and appears vindictive. 

5. He is tender, and appears terrible in judg- 

ment. 

6. He is a Saviour, and appears a punisher and de^ 

stroyer. 

and appears to require an atone- 
ment for them, 
and appears at times deaf to in- 
treaty. 

and appears to hide his face 
from the disobedient. 



7. He is a forgiver of sins. 



8. He is always ready to 

answer prayer, 

9. He is a sun of righteous- 

ness for ever shining 
on the evil and on the ^ 
good, J 



1 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 215 



"1 and appears several, by reason 
10. He is One both in es- s of the var iety of names 

sence and in person, . . j w hk n characterize him. 

The preceding Tables might each be enlarged with examples 
of a similar kind : but these are amply sufficient to shew the na- 
ture of appearances, both of the higher and of the lower order, 
which form the most usual language of the written Word, and 
for want of distinguishins; which from more interior genuine truths 
so many errors have inundated the Christian church. The Jews 
knew nothing of the distinction above pointed out : hence it was. 
that when our Lord plainly asserted his genuine character, by 
saying to them, M Before Abraham was, I Am," they immediate- 
ly " took up stones to cast at him."' But the consequence was, 
that " Jesus, hid himself , and went out of the temple, going through 
66 the midst of them, and so passed by," ver. 59. So it appears, 
that in the present day Christians, so called, have scarce any more 
interior knowledge of Jesus, than the Jews had formerly : for 
when it is openly proclaimed in their ears, that he is the Ever- 
living Jehovah, or God the Father Himself, which is no 
more that an echo of his own words, when he says, " Before Abra- 
" ham was, I Am," they in like manner take up stones, (spiritual- 
ly understood.) and cast at him, by denying that he is the Great 
Personage, whom such language exclusively describes. "What 
winder then is it, that Jesus should now spiritually hide himself 
from Christians, as he did before literally from Jews, and depart out 
of their temple, going through the midst of them, and so pass by? 

There is no doubt, that it has actually so happened ; and in- 
deed that the temple has fallen to the ground during his absence ; 
while the builders and dilapidators, the buyers and sellers of ox- 
en, sheep, and doves, the table-keepers and changers of money, 
together with the carriers of vessels, (Matt. xxi. 12. Mark xi, 
15, 16. John ii. 15, 16.) each one disputing with his neighbour 
about the altar, the ark, and the testimony, the gold, the silver, 
and the brazen utensils, the table, the candlesticks, the flowers, 
the lamps, the tongs, the bowls, the snuft'ers, the basons, the 
spoons, the censers, the hinges of the doors, the lavers. the sho= 



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A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



vels, the pots, and whatever else belonged to the house, as well 
as about the costly stones and other materials of the outward 
structure, (1 Kings vii. 9 to 11, 40, 48 to 50.) are (in too many 
instances) busily employed in purloining and secreting for them- 
selves the scattered wealth and riches of the place. (Isa. lvi. 11.) 
Sound doctrine and a suitable life can alone restore the fallen tem- 
ple, and cause Jerusalem to become " a quiet habitation, a taberna- 
" cle that shall not be taken down :" of which it may then be said, 
that " not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither 
" shall any of the cords thereof be broken. But there the glori- 
" ous Jehovah will be unto us a place of broad rivers and 
64 streams. For Jehovah is our Judge, Jehovah is our Law- 
giver, Jehovah is our King; he will save us," Isa. xxxiii. 20 
to 24. 



[93.] John x. 14, 16. "I am the good Shepherd, and know my 
a sheep, and am known of mine. And other sheep I have, which 

are not of this fold : them also I must bring, and they shall hear 
" my voice ; and there shall be one fold, and One Shepherd" 

Let this passage be compared with those in the Old Testament, 
which so decidedly teach, that the great Shepherd of souls is no 
other than their Creator and Preserver. David emphatically says, 

Jehovah is my Shepherd, I shall not want : he maketh me to 
64 lie down in green pastures ; he leadeth me beside the still wa- 
6 < ters : he restoreth my soul : he leadeth me in the paths of righte- 
U ousness for his name's sake," Ps. xxiii. 1 to 3. Isaiah likewise 
declares to the same purpose: "Behold, the Lord Jehovih* 

* The reader is requested to observe the distinction here made between Je- 
hovih (spelt with an I) and Jehovah (spelt, as is usual, with an A.) When- 
ever the name Jehovah is used alone, or singly precedes the term God, or Zi> 
jBaoth, which signifies armies or hosts, in all such cases the word is uniform- 
ly spelt with an A in the original Hebrew ; thus Jehovah, Jehovah God, Je- 
hovah Zebaoth, or Jehovah of hosts. But whenever this name of Deity is 
preceded by the term Lord (Adonai,) without any affix to this latter, it is 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 217 



(i will come with strong hand : he shall feed his flock like &Shep~ 
66 herd : he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in 
« his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young," 
Isa. xl. 10, 11. Similar is the language of Ezekiel, chap, xxxiv. 
11, 13 to 16. 

Consider now ; the pious and sincere among mankind, or the 
true members of the church universal, wheresoever scattered over 
the face of the earth, and whatever may be their religious creeds 
or professions, are called, both by Jehovah, and by Jesus, his 
flock, his sheep, which shall be collected together into one fold 9 
and thus brought to acknowledge only One Shepherd, if not in 
the present life, most assuredly in that which is to come. But 
which of the two names shall in the end be received and confes- 
sed by the church ? Only one answer, consistent with the whole 
tenour of divine revelation, can be given to this question 5 which 

then always spelt with an I, instead of an A ; thus, Lord Jehovih (Adonai 
Jehovih,) and never Lord Jehotah (Adonai Jehovah.) The words Lord Je- 
hovah in Isa. xii. 2 ; and in chap. xxvi. 4, ought to have been rendered Jah 
Jehovah. From a care fill examination of every verse in the Sacred Scrip- 
tures, that is, in the genuine books of the Word, (see Note under art. 136.) we 
find, that Adokai Jehovih occurs 297 times ; Adonai Jehovih Zebaoth, 15 
times ; Jehovih Adonai, 5 times ; Adon Jehovah Zebaoth, 4 times ; and 
Adon Jehovah, once. 

In our English bibles the translators have almost always rendered the name 
Jehovah by the word Lord, printed in capital letters : but the name Jehovih 
they have perhaps invariably rendered God, printed also in capital letters, as 
in Ps. lxviii. 20. Ps. lxix- 6. Isa. xl. 10 ; chap. 1. 4, 5, 7, 9 ; chap. lxi. 1. Jer. 
xxxii. 17, 25. Ezek. ii. 4 ; chap. iii. 11, 27; and in forty other chapters of the 
same prophet. Amos iv. 2, 5. Obad. 1 ; Zeph. i. 7 ; &c. &c. &c. However, 
many of the editions of the bible are found to be very incorrect in the above 
particulars ; though the rule, which the translators laid down for themselves, 
seems pretty evident. 

We may in conclusion remark, that the term Jehovah is expressive of the 
divine essence generally ; but the term Jehovih, of the same divine essence 
with specific relation to the attribute of omnipotence, as is plain from Isa. 
xl. 10 : "Behold, the Lord Jehovih will come with strong hand, and his arm 
■«* shall ride for him." And from Ps. lxxi. 16 : fl will go in the strength of 
?{ the Lord Jehovih,'* 

JEe 



218 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



is, That both will be acknowledged as belonging to one and the 
same ever-blessed and ever-adorable Parent and Preserver of an- 
gels and men ; the name Jehovah denoting the yet unmanifested 
Divinity, and the name Jesus the same Divinity now become in- 
carnate. Thus both names and characters shall henceforth be 
for ever united in that one most expressive, most endearing, and 
divinely-approved name— The Lord,— which in the supreme 
sense belongs only to him, who was and is Jehovah in the human 
form, God Himself manifested in the flesh. And herein also t 
even in an external sense, is fulfilled the prophecy, which says, 
" In that day Jehovah shall be One, and his name One," Zech. 
xiv. 9. This then is the One Good Shepherd, whose voice shall 
alone be heard in every mountain, hill, and valley of the church, 
until at length not one of his sheep, not one of his people, shall 
have occasion to say to another, " Know the Lord," but they 
shall all, from the least of them even unto the greatest of them* 
know, follow, and worship him alone, 



[94.] John x. 15, 18. "I lay down my life for the sheep. JVo 
"man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself: I have 
g< power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again." 

Is this the language of a mere man, bidding defiance to the 
united powers of all other men to deprive him of life ? It cannot 
be. Again, what finite being, after laying down and thus relin- 
quishing his life in the natural world, can at pleasure re-assume it 
in another and more perfect state, purely by virtue of his own 
power? " I have power (says Jesus) to lay down my life, and 
" I have power to take it again" Comment is unnecessary^ 
when the tiling speaks for itself. 



[95.] John x. 27 to SO. " My sheep hear my voice, and I know 
them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life? 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



219 



and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out 
;« of my hand. My Father, who gave them me, is greater than 
44 all : and none is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 
" I and my Father are One* 

They who follow and acknowledge Jesus, are here denomina- 
ted his sheep ; and he says, " I give unto them eternal life, nei- 
" ther shall any pluck them out of my hand." But he adds, that 
none is able to pluck them out of his Father's hand, although he 
at the same time declares, that the Father had given them to him,, 
It may well be asked, How can the sheep be in the hands of the 
Father, and also in the hands of Jesus, if they are two separate 
and distinct persons? If the Father had delivered them up into 
the hands of Jesus, why is it still said, that none can pluck them 
out of the Father's hand, just as if no mention whatever had been 
previously made of any transfer ? The apparent difficulty of the 
case is completely removed, first, by the Lord's own words? 
which immediately succeed ; and secondly, and more fully, by 
the true sense, which he has elsewhere taught us to put upon his 
words. " I and my Father (says he) are One." This i s the 
solution, which is illustrated by the consideration^ that, as the 
soul of a man transfers all it's powers and energies to the body ? 
yet without suffering any diminution of either, so the Father, Gi- 
llie Essential Divinity, transfers to his Son Jesus, or the Divine 
Humanity, all his omnipotence, for the sole purpose of protecting 
and defending his people, yet without divesting himself of any 
one of his divine attributes. For still, after all that has been said, 
or can be said, on the subject, the Father and Jesus are, both 
in essence and in person, indivisibly one and the same God, just 
as the soul and the body are indivisibly one and the same man* 



[96.] John x. 33. The Jews said unto Jesus, " For a good 
u work we stone thee not ; but for blasphemy, and because that 
thou, being a Man, makest thyself God." 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



The occasion, on which the Jews had taken up stones to stone 
Jesus, was, because he had just before declared, that he and the 
Father ivere One. This they considered as blasphemy, and the 
same thing as making himself God, when yet they took him to be 
no more than a mere man. Do not their successors, the Unitari- 
ans, treat him precisely in the same way, with this only differ- 
ence, that the stones, which they now cast at Jesus, are falses of 
doctrine, whereby they would deprive him of divine life, that is, 
of every claim to divinity ; whereas the stones, which the Jews 
cast at him, with a view to deprive him of natural life, were only 
earthly, material stones, these latter being truly representative or 
significative of the former ? 

The Jews seem to have been aware, that the purport and ten- 
dency of our Lord's words and works was first to create an idea 
of his divine character, and next to induce on the minds of the 
people a conviction, that he was the omnipotent God, though veil- 
ed in human flesh ; which condition of Deity, being evidently an 
accommodation to the apprehension of man, and not an over- 
whelming demonstration of the divine presence, such as would be 
that of the naked glory of the Father, is usually called in Scrip- 
ture the Son of God. Whensoever, therefore, Jesus announced 
himself to be the Son of God, as in ver. 36 of the chapter, from 
which we take our present subject, it was in itself tantamount to 
a plain declaration of his identity with the Father himself. For 
while the term Father denotes the divine essence, and the term 
Son the divine form, it is evident, that he, who is the one, must 
also be the other. 

Apprized of this kind of language, and accustomed to it, as 
men were in ancient times, though little understood in the pre- 
sent day, the Jews, at the period of our Lord's first appearance 
in the world, never once thought of having recourse to the kind 
of explanation, which our modern Unitarians adopt, in reference 
to the filiation of Jesus, saying, that he is called the. Son of God 
merely by way of courtesy, grace, favour, or pre-eminence over 
other messengers of Deity, when in fact they consider him to be 
no more the Son of God, than any other good man. On the con- 
trary, the very phrase, Son of God, excited in the breast of Jews 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



221 



an indignation, which they could not well restrain, because they 
knew, that he was thereby making himself God, as plainly as if 
he had in direct words asserted it. And indeed our Lord him- 
self, so far from undeceiving them in this point, or in the small- 
est degree discountenancing the idea, which they had taken up, 
of his making himself God, reasons with them evidently on the 
ground of admitting and acknowledging this part of the charge in 
it's fullest extent. For thus he answered them : " Is it not writ- 
" ten in your law, I said, Ye are gods ? If he called them gods, 
" unto whom the Word of God came, and the Scripture cannot 
" be broken ; say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and 
u sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am 
" the Son of God ? If I do not the works of my Father, believe 
" me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the 
" works ; that ye may know and believe, that the Father is in 
" me, and I in him," ver. 34 to 38. 

Reduced into another form, the reasoning is plainly as follows: 
" If angels or men may, by way of courtesy, or from a respect to 
a the divine truths of which they are receptive, be called gods, 
" merely because the Word of God came to them, was preached 
" to them, and taught them how to become images of God ; can it 
" be matter of blasphemy, nay can it be anything short of divine 
" truth itself, in the mouth and on the part of him, who is essen- 
w tially holy, and who is indeed the very Word made flesh, to as- 
" sert, that he is the Son of God, the form of the divine essence, 
" or, in other words, God himself appearing in the human 
« form ?" 

Jesus, therefore, by admitting, elucidating, and confirming the 
charge, brought against him by the Jews, of equalizing himself 
with the Supreme Being, most clearly teaches us, that he mad& 
himself God. 

But there is a still higher sense, in which it may truly be said 
of Jesus, that he, being a Man, made himself God. While on 
earth, in the mere humanity, he was an organized form receptive 
of the divine truth proceeding from the divine essence within 
him: but in proportion as he entered into union with that es- 
sence ? and therehv became one icith the Father, in the same pro- 



222 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



portion he put off the organic forms, which were receptive of life, 
and in their stead acquired to himself, or put on, divine forms of 
wisdom and love, which, properly speaking, are not in themselves 
mere receptacles of life, but really and substantially life in them- 
selves. Hence it is written, that, " as the Father hath life in 
44 himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself,* 9 
John v. 26. But this union between the Father and the Son, that 
is, between the Divinity and the Humanity, was effected recipro- 
cally on the part of each; on which account it is again Written, 
and the words proceed from the lips of Jesus himself, " Father, 
" the hour is come ; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glo- 
" rtfy thee," John xvii. 1. To glorify the Son, is to render the 
Humanity Divine ; and to glorify the Father, is to render the 
Divinity Human. Thus it may be truly said, in agreement with 
the whole testimony of the Sacred Scriptures, that as Jehovah, 
by his advent into the world, being God, made himself Man, so 
Jesus, by his return to his own divine essence, from which he 
came forth, being Man, made himself God. 



[97.] John xi. 25, 26. " Jesus said, lam the resu^ection and 
" the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall 
" he live ; and whosoever liveth, and believeth in me, shall never 
" die. Believest thou this ?" 



If Jesus be not the Supreme God, how can he be called the re- 
surrection, and the life? Can any mere man, can any mere 
creature, by his own power, raise the dead, either naturally or 
spiritually speaking ? Or can any such being in truth claim to 
himself so divine a character, as that of possessing— possessing 
did we say ?— — nay, of being personally and essentially the life 
itself? 

Again, can faith in a mere man or a mere angel quicken and 
immortalize any one rational soul in existence ? Yet this effect 
is produced on all without exception, who make Jesus the sole 
Object of their faith and love. He therefore, and He alone, must 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



22-3 



be the One Supreme God, the fountain of all life. Unitarian, Tri- 
nitarian, Catholic, Protestant, Calvinist, Arminian, Churchman, 
Dissenter, or whatever else be thy name, the Lord himself puts 
the question, " Believest thou this ?" 



[98.] John xi. 32. Mary said unto Jesus, " Lord, if thou 
" hadst been here, my brother had not died." 

Compare this with the preceding article, and observe the 
agreement of both. In the one, Jesus is declared to be life it- 
self; in the other, his presence alone is represented as a security 
against death. This indeed is intelligible language, while we con- 
sider him to be (like the sun in the firmament, which refreshes 
all nature with it's presence,) the one only source of spiritual 
life to all his intelligent creatures, who acknowledge and approach 
him alone as their Saviour, their Father, and their God. But ne- 
ver can it be reconciled to our common reason, much less to the 
true sense of divine revelation, that the presence of a mere man, 
or a mere creature of any description, can produce such an asto- 
nishing effect, as that which is here ascribed to the presence of 
Jesus. 



[99.] John xi. 43, 44. When Jesus came to the grave, where 
" Lazarus was lying, " he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, 
" come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and 
" foot with grave-clothes." 

It is very observable, that in all the miracles, which Jesus per- 
formed, he acted even apparently, as well as in reality, upon his 
own authority, and by his own power ; never once praying for 
assistance to any superior being distinct from himself, to enable 
him to perform the works, as might reasonably be expected, were 
he no more than a mere man. How different was the case with 



224 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



his disciples, who received their commission and their power 
from Jesus, and never once refused to acknowledge, but on the 
contrary were eager to proclaim, him alone as the source, from 
whom the j derived both ! 

It is true, that Jesus on the present occasion, as stated in ver. 
41, 42, " lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee, that 
" thou hast heard me $ and I knew that thou hearest me always." 
But it does not hence follow, that the Father, whom he addres- 
sed, was any being or person out of and different from himself ; 
for he says in the same place, that he used such language (not 
on his own account, or because it was necessary for him to call 
for extraneous assistance, but) because of the people who stood by, 
that they might believe that he acted from the Father, or the di- 
vine essence : of whom, or of which, he elsewhere says, f He that 
" sent me, is with me : the Father hath not left me alone," John 
viii. 29. And again, " The Father, that dwelleth in me, he doth the 
works," John xiv. 10. But most expressly of all, "land the Fa- 
£< ther are One" John x. 30. When, therefore, he thanked the 
Father for having heard him, even before he attempted to raise 
the dead, he spake with all the confidence arising from a conscious- 
ness within himself, that the divine omnipotence, which lodged 
within him, not as another -s, hut as his own, was about to be exerted 
by him. For the same power, the same life, which belonged to the 
Father, or to the Divine Essence, belonged equally to the Son, or 
to the Divine Humanity, according to the degree in which they 
were united : and hence it is written, that " as the Father raiseth 
" up the dead, and quickeneth them, even so the Son quickeneth 
"whom he will," John v. 21. From all which considerations it 
follows, that, as Jesus possessed in himself the power of raising 
the dead to life, which is a power characteristic of Deity alone, he 
must have been a Divine Man, or in other words, God Himself 
in Human Form. 



[100.] John xii. 32. " And I, if I be lifted up from the eartlu 
" will draw all men unto me." 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 225 

To be lifted up from the earth, according to the mere literal 
sense, is to be elevated on the cross 5 and many seek for no higher 
interpretation of the words. But the subject is capable of a more 
interior view. In the first sense, an idea is presented of the mere 
humanity of Jesus, about to suffer the indignity as well as the 
pains of crucifixion : while in the latter sense, his glorification, 
or union with the Father, which is the same thing as his return 
into his own divine essence, is most evidently alluded to, as that 
great event, which was to give character to all his future opera- 
tions upon the men of the church. 44 If I be lifted up from the 
" earth," says he, 44 1 will draw all men unto me:" that is, If, 
" instead of the earthly form, the material and infirm humanity, I 
& put on the heavenly and divine form ; and If I be heareafter ac~ 
* 4 knowl edged by the church as One with Jehovah the Father 
44 himself ; I shall then, as such, become the sole Object of their 
" love and adoration ; because it will then be seen and under- 
<4 stood, that as 44 no man can come to me (the divine truth,) ex* 
44 cept the Father (the divine love) draw him," John vi. 44, so 
« when I shall have invested myself with the entire character of 
44 supreme Deity, by ascending into all the fulness of infinite love 5 
44 I will then, as the Father of my children, draw them all unto 
* 4 myself. Then also will be fulfilled the words, which I spake 
44 by the prophets in ancient times, 44 I drew them with the cords 
* 4 of a Man, with bands of love" Hos. xi. 4. 64 Yea, I have loved 
u thee with an everlasting love i therefore with loving-kindness- 
44 have I drawn thee," Jer. xxxi* 3. 

It is then the prerogative of Jehovah the Father by his divine 
love to draw men to himself : and it is also the prerogative of Je- 
sus to do the same. But as there cannot be two separate centres 
of attraction either in heaven or in the church, it follows, not- 
withstanding the difference of names, that Jesus and Jehovah 
the Father must still be one and the same fountain of divine Iove 9 
and consequently one and the same Supreme God of the uni- 
verse. 



V f 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



[101.] John xii. 37, 58. " But though he had done so many 
miracles before them, jet they believed not on him: that the 
66 saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, 
66 Lord, who hath believed our report ? and to whom hath the arm 
66 of the Lord been revealed ?" 

It is here stated, that the Jews did not believe on Jesus, not- 
withstanding the many miracles, which he had wrought before 

them. Did not believe him to be what? a mere man? O 

yes ; they believed him to be even a great and wonderful man, 
capable, by some means or other, of performing the most aston- 
ishing miracles.* But they believed him not to be what he really 
was — the very arm or power of Jehovah, that is, the manifested 
form of Divinity. Therefore Isaiah's prophecy is quoted, as be- 
ing then fulfilled, " Who hath believed our report? and to whom 
"hath the .arm of the Lord (Jehovah) been revealed?" Isa. 
liii. 1. 

May not the same question be put in the present day ? Who 
now believes him to be Jehovah Himself vested with the omni- 
potence, because clothed in the Humanity, and thereby travel- 
ling in the greatness of his strength, mighty to save, without de- 
stroying the creature ? Can that be called faith in him, which 
forbids the worship of him ? Yet such was the faith of Jews ; and 
such is the faith of modern L T nitarians. Well then did Isaiah 
prophesy of both, and of all others, who, by reason of the Huma- 
nity of Jesus, cannot discern his exclusive Divinity : " Go and 
" tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see 
" ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, 
" and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes ; lest they see 

* It is a tradition among* the Jewish Rabbins, that Jesus Christ perform- 
ed his miracles by means of what they call the Shem-hamphorash, or the Name 
separated, sacred, and expounded, viz. by other names ; the Tetragrammaton, 
or Name with four letters in the original ; by which is meant the Name 
JeHoVaH. They report also, that Moses performed his miracles in Egypt 

12 3 4 

by the same great and glorious Name, as well as by the Name I Am that I 
A:*,, or I AY ill be that I Will be, Exod, iii. 14 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 227 



u with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with 
« their heart, and convert, and be healed," Isa. vi. 9, 10. To 
have a fat heart, a heavy ear, and a blind eye, is to be destitute 
of all spiritual love, of all spiritual charity and faith, and at the 
same time of all genuine rationality or perception of truth, in 
regard to the person and character of Jesus % and this notwith- 
standing all the learning, the science, and the wisdom, which are 
derived either from study, or from the mere light of nature. For 
human acquisitions of learning and science, though highly useful 
in their place, as means subservient to spiritual truth, in the way 
of confirmation and propagation, after it is once received from 
above, can yet never give it, because of themselves they neither 
possess it, nor can generate it in the mind of a single individual. 
Hence it is written, that the true knowledge of divine things is 
" hid from the wise and the prudent, and revealed only to babes," 
Matt. xi. 25 ; that is, to those, who in humility acknowledge, that 
they " can receive nothing, except it be given them from heaven," 
John iii. 27. 



[102.] John xii. 44, 45. " Jesus cried, and said, He that be- 
" lieveth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. And 
" he that seeth me, seeth him that sent me" 



As Jesus came into the world in the character of divine truth? 
divine wisdom, or divine light, which proceeds from divine good, 
divine love, or divine fire ; and as such procession is in the Sa- 
cred Scripture understood by being sent into the world ; and as 
moreover the divine truth and the divine good, when personified, 
are distinguished, the one by the term Son, and the other by the 
term Father, when yet they are no more actually separated, than 
-the light of the sun is from the sun itself, or than the body is from 
the soul of a living man ; we may hence perceive the true ground 
and reason why the Lord so frequently speaks of his being sent 
by the Father 5 and why also he says, that faith in him is not to be 
considered merely as faith in the truth, in the light, in the Son, or in 



£28 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



the Humanity, but at the same time and chiefly as faith in the su- 
preme good, in the infinite love, in the Father Jehovah, or in the 
Essential Divinity, manifested in the Humanity, and constituting 
the all in all both of it's interior essence, and of it's exterior form. 
Thus he teaches us, that our sight, our faith, our love, and our 
adoration, ought to be directed solely to his Divine Humanity, 
because therein alone centre and are for ever incorporated all the 
attributes, powers, and perfections of the pure Divinity. 

Under this view of the subject, how easy is it to discern our 
Lord's meaning, when he says, " He that believeth on me,believ- 
" eth not on me, but on him that sent me being as much as to 
say, He believeth not on me separately from the Father, but on 
the Father also at the same time : for which reason he immediate- 
ly aids, 44 And he that seeth me, seeth him that sent me" To 
the same purport is the following declaration, 44 If ye had known 
" me, ye would have known my Father also : and from henceforth 
64 ye know him, and have seen him," John xii. 7 ; evidently im- 
plying, that he himself is the Father, as well as the Son, though 
in a different relation and respect; the Father denoting the all of 
Deity, which, like the human soul, is of itself invisible ; and the 
Son denoting the all of Deity, which, like the human body, is vi- 
sible and manifest to the beholder. 

To the above may be added another consideration, in like man- 
ner explanatory of the words of Jesus, and illustrative of the 
doctrine advanced in these pages. As Jesus possessed an inte- 
rior Humanity derived from the Father, which is properly called 
the Divine Humanity, and also an exterior humanity derived 
from the mother, which is properly called the infirm humanity ; 
and as he was constantly bat gradually divesting himself of this 
latter, that he might at length be fully and wholly in the former ; 
it appears to be agreeable to the divine wisdom, that we should 
be instructed how to regard the infirm humanity, while we are 
directing our faith and our worship to him as a Divine Man. 

Our thoughts, affections, and devotions, on such occasions, are 
not to embrace, for their object, a mere humanity like our own., 
subject to infirmities, necessities, and imperfections ef every de- 
scription ; a gross body composed of material substances, and 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. <m 

therefore finited and limited in every state and condition of it's 
existence : for such a body cannot possibly support any one of 
the characters of infinity ; it cannot, for instance, be omnipresent 
even in the natural world, and still less so in the spiritual world, 
which no material substance can in any wise enter: and conse- 
quently prayers and addresses to such a human form, from mil- 
lions of intelligent creatures in both worlds at the same time, and 
in all successive times, must in the nature of things be utterly un- 
available and useless. 

Faith, therefore, in Jesus Christ, is not a faith that admits 
into it's contemplation a form or object in any respect subject to 
the infirmities and imperfections above described : but it regards 
him, both as to essence and to person, as infinitely superior to 
every created form or substance, yet infinitely present in them 
all? without however in the smallest degree commixing himself 
with them, or identifying himself as any part or property of mere 
nature. Thus a true and genuine faith in him, agreeable to the 
true meaning of our Lord's words, sets him high above the crea- 
ture, and recognizes him in no other character, than as the Su* 
preme God Himself in Human Form, 

How different is such a view of the Saviour, his divine person 
and character, from that which both Unitarians and Trinitarians 
entertain ! While the former regard him in all respects as a 
mere man like themselves, and thus openly reject every idea of 
his divinity ; the latter allow him to move in a somewhat higher 
sphere, not indeed as to his human nature, for this they view pre- 
cisely in the same light as Unitarians do, but as to what they call 
his divine nature ; and even this they only deal out to him by 
measure, reserving the remainder of divinity for two other per- 
sons, whom they suppose equally entitled to their respective 
shares ! From this scheme of their's it results, that our Lord has 
actually two persons ! /— one, which they say is divine, (as they 
calculate divinity,) having existed together with the Father and 
the Holy Ghost from all eternity; and the other merely human, 
born in time, crucified, dead and buried, and at length raised from 
the dead, and now seated, even as a material body, having ordi- 
nary flesh and blood, at the right hand of God, in some local sU 



230 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



tuation of the universe, unknown to them and to all the rest of 
the world ! ! ! 

Reader, (can you believe it ?) this is the Jesus Christ of mo- 
dern professors, but not the Jesus Christ of primitive believ- 
ers, not the Jesus Christ of the New Testament. This is the 
imaginary being - , to one of whose supposed persons they now and 
then direct their prayers, when they can steal a moment from the 
worship of one or two other equally imaginary semi- or demi- 
gods! .' In short, this is that false Christ, or at least one of those 
false Chrisls. concerning whom our blessed Lord so plainly fore- 
warns us, and upon whom he gives us so strict an admonition not 
to squander away either our faith or our time.* 

Speaking of the present identical times, in which we now live, 
including also those in which our fathers have lived, when the 
abomination of desolation, spoken of by the prophet Daniel, should 
stand in the holy place (the church,) and when the Son of Man 
should be on the point of making his appearance in the clouds of 
heaven, Jesus said to his disciples, 66 Take heed that no man de- 
" ceive you : for many shall come in my name, saying, I am 
" Christ; and shall deceive many. Then if any man shall say 
" unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there ; believe it not. For 
" there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall shew 
" great signs and wonders, insomuch that (if it were possible) 
" they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you be- 
« fore." Matt. xxiv. 4, 5, 23 to 25. 

It appears, then, that a false Christ maybe imposed upon man- 
kind, instead of the true one ; and that there is some danger of 
being deceived by those who profess to speak in the name of the 
true Christ, and yet know not where he is to be found: assign- 
ing one unknown place in the spiritual world for his Divinity, 
and another unknown place in the natural world for his Humani- 
ty ; thus rending asunder what ought to be for ever united, be- 
sides localizing, degrading, and exiling that Glorified Body, in 
which the Saviour rose from the dead, and which as an Omnipo- 

* Here the reader is requested to turn to Emanuel Swedenborg's Arcana 
Ccslestia, n. 3010, 3732. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



231 



tent, Omnipresent, and Divine Body, forms the only proper Ob- 
ject of all Christian worship. This latter, and not the former, is 
the true Christ, the true Jesus Christ of the New Testament, 
whose Essential Divinity is called the Father, whose Divine Hu- 
manity is called the Son, and whose proceeding influence or ope- 
ration is called the Holy Spirit ; all United as One God in One 
Divine Person, blessed for ever and ever. 



[103.] John xiii. 13. " Ye call me Master, and Lord : and 
" ye say well ; for so I am." 

A Master is one who teaches or communicates truth to the 
ignorant ; and thereby rules or governs those, over whom he pre- 
sides : hence, in the spiritual sense of the word, it denotes God, 
who is the only source and fountain of all wisdom, and who go- 
verns his people by the laws of divine truth. But by the term 
Lord we understand one, who exercises dominion over his ser- 
vants from another and superior principle, namely, because he is 
the rightful owner of the territory which they occupy, and because 
he defends, protects, and supports them with all the kindness and 
love of a Parent. In the supreme sense of the expression, there- 
fore, it characterizes him, who is entitled to the name, as the sole 
Proprietor of the vast territory of creation, the Possessor and 
consequently the Maker of heaven and earth, the Defender, Pro- 
tector, and Supporter of all his rational offspring. Thus it im- 
plies, not only that he is the great Author and Preserver of all 
being, but also that he exercises the dominion of love, mercy, and 
compassion, over all the works of his hands : and hence it may 
be truly considered as one of the highest and dearest relations, hi 
which he stands towards his creatures. 

It may be proper again to repeat, what we have before observ- 
ed, that in the New Testament the term Lord is evidently sub- 
stituted instead of the term Jehovah, so often used in the Old 
Testament ; and consequently that it involves the same significa- 
tion. It further appears, from an attentive examination of the 



232 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



Sacred Scriptures throughout, that both terms, as also the name 
Jesus, have an especial reference to the divine attribute of love, 
mercy, and goodness ; while the terms God, Master, Christ, 
Messiah, Anointed, King, &c. more particularly point out the 
divine wisdom or divine truth of the one undivided Being, in 
whom all the perfections of Deity centre. 

Such then being the true import of the appellations Lord and 
Master, and Jesus himself having expressly sanctioned and ap- 
proved of the conduct of the disciples in applying them to him, 
it follows, that whether with Moses and the Prophets we make 
mention of Jehovah, or with the Evangelists, of the Lord, still 
one and the same God is invariably understood, who is no other 
than our adorable Saviour Jesus Christ. On this account he 
also charges his disciples to acknowledge, in spiritual things, no 
Master but himself, nor any other Father (a name tantamount 
to Lord) but him who is in heaven, they being among themselves 
all brethren, Matt, xxiii. 8 to 10. 



[104.] John xiv. 1. " Let not your heart be troubled : ye be- 
i; lieve in God, believe also in me or rather, as it ought to have 
been rendered, " believe in God, believe also in me"* 



* The original will admit of being 1 translated either way : but that the 
corrected form is the true reading- in this place, may be confirmed by this 
consideration, that the Jews, from among whom Jesus chose his disciples, 
and even the disciples themselves, until they were better instructed, did not 
believe in God, that is to say, not in the true God; neither did they knoio Mm: 
for our Lord abundantly teaches, that no man can have access to the Father 
or naked Divinity, so as either to have faith in him, or to worship him, ex- 
cept in and through the medium of himself or the Humanity. " I am (says he) 
" the way, and the truth, and the life c no man cometh unto the Father, but 
u by me. If ye had known me, ye would have known my Father also, who 
" divellethinme," John xiv. 6, 7, 10. " It is my Father that honoureth me, of 
" whom ye say, that he is your God: yet ye have not knoion him," chap. viii. 
54, 55. " I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved," chap. 
S> 9. Whosoever therefore is in the habit of directing, or rather of attempt- 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 23S 

It must be evident to every reflecting mind, that throughout 
the Scriptures of the New Testament faith in our Lord Jesus 
Christ is inculcated, and most urgently insisted upon, as an es- 
sential condition of eternal life 5 nay, that it is as essential to our 
future happiness and well-being, as any faith in, or worship of, 
that Supreme Power, who in the Scriptures of the Old Testament 
is described as Jehovah, the Creator of all worlds, the great 
fountain of ail being, the alone God of the universe. Accordingly 
it is written, 44 He that believeth on the Son" that is, on Jesus 
Christ, who appeared in the world as the Son of God, " hath 
" everlasting life : and he that believeth not the Son, shall not 
« see life 5 but the wrath of God abideth on him," John iii. 36. 
Again, Jesus said, 44 I am the resurrection, and the life : he that 
" believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And 
" whosoever liveth, and believeth in me ? shall never die," John 
xi. 25, 26. To which may be added this further passage, con- 
tained in an address of Jesus to the Father, or of the Humanity 
to the Divinity: 44 This is life eternal, that they might know thee 
44 the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent," 
John xvii. 3. 

In agreement with these and similar passages of the Sacred 
Writings are the words of our Lord above quoted, 44 Believe in 
44 God, believe also in me.»" that is, 44 Believe in the divine es- 
44 sence, believe also in the divine form $ believe in an invisible 
44 Creator, believe also in a visible Redeemer ; and henceforth 
64 learn, that a saving faith consists in knowing, in loving, and in 
44 worshipping me as the only God of heaven and earth, as Crea- 
44 tor from eternity, Redeemer in time, and Regenerator for 
44 evermore," - 

ing to direct, his worship to any unknown, unrevealed, unmanifested Being 
out of and different from Jesus Christ himself, must submit to be informed, 
that neither his worship, nor the faith that instigates to it, bears any thing- of 
the character of true and genuine Christianity; and therefore, like the Jew- 
ish disciples of old, he still stands in need of the injunction and exhortation 
f)f our Lord, " Believe in God, believe also in me." 



234 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



For one moment only let it be supposed, (though it must be 
allowed, that the supposition is truly ridiculous and absurd,) that 
Jesus was a mere man. Then it will follow, that we are called 
upon to exercise our faith in a mere creature, in a very wmnn of 
the earth, conjointly with the great God of the universe ! But 
what can a mere man do for us ? What can he do for himself ? 
To what purpose must our faith be directed to one, who, as a 
finite, dependent creature, is equally helpless with ourselves ? 
How can such an one redress the wants, or chace the sorrows, or 
fill with the balm of consolation and celestial happiness the hearts, 
of millions of intelligent beings, nay of the whole human race, in 
every succeeding age of their existence ? O Unitarian ! Unita- 
rian ! either dash out from the Sacred Volume all those claims to 
our faith, our love, our adoration, which the Son of God and Son 
of Man so incessantly makes, or else break up at once the flinty 
texture of your heart, and yield to the Saviour those divine ho- 
nours, to which he is so justly entitled. You profess to believe 
in God: you are equally bound to believe in Jesus; the in- 
junction being precisely the same in one case, as in the other. 

If now it be as necessary to believe in Jesus, as to believe in 
(jod, then surely he must be more than a mere man, more than a 
mere angd ; nay, he must be nothing short of a Divine and Om- 
nipotent Being. But there cannot, in the nature of things, be two 
such Beings, to divide between them the faith and the love, that 
is, the understandings and the hearts, of intelligent creation. 
There must, therefore, be some way of explaining what at first 
sight may appear so unaccountable to human reason ; there 
must be some way of reconciling the duty imposed upon us of 
directing our faith to Jesus, with the duty, which can never be 
suffered to relax, out of any deference to another, of loving God 
with all our heart, and all our soul, and all our mind, and all our 
strength, thus of directing all our faith to him alone. 

Sift and probe the subject to the bottom; look at it in every 
possible direction ; and it will at last be found, that in no other 
way can the necessity of this (apparently) double if not contradic- 
tory duty be justified, than in considering, as we have already 
repeatedly shewn, that by the term God is meant the divine es- 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 235 



sence, and by the term Jesus the divine form : in which point of 
view faith in God, and at the same time faith in Jesus, are both 
perceived to be perfectly reconcileable to our best reason, as well 
as to the true and genuine sense of Sacred Scripture. Thus to 
believe in God, and also in Jesus, is simply to believe in God 
Manifested in the Flesh, or in Jehovah as a Divine Man: 
which also is the great end of all revelation. 



[105.] John xiv. 6. "Jesus saith, I am the way, and the 
4< truth, and the life : no man cometh unto the Father, bat by meP 

Here Jesus declares himself to be the way, that is, the medium 
of access to the Father, just as the visible body is the medium of 
access to the invisible soul. No man then can approach the Fa- 
ther, either in the way of thought, or affection, or prayer, or wor- 
ship, unless at the same time he think of, love, pray to, and wor- 
ship, Jesus himself: but by so doing he gains access to the di= 
vine essence called the Father, which dwells in Jesus, as the soul 
of a man dwells in his body, John xiv. 10. 

Again, Jesus is the truth itself^ or wisdom itself, or the Word 
itself. Now this is declared, in John i. 1 , not only to be with 
God, but even to be God ; and it is added, ver. 14, that the Word 
was ma.de flesh, or in other words, that it became a Man. Truth 
also is light ; on which account Jesus is called " the true light, 
u which lighteth every man that cometh into the world,'' ver. 9 : 
and to this effect he testifies of himself, saying, " I am the light 
" of the world," John viii. 12. 

But not only is Jesus the way, or medium of access to the Fa- 
ther, and the light, or truth itself, that is, the fountain of all wis- 
dom : but he is also the life itself, and consequently the source of 
all being ; which is the very character of the Supreme God; call- 
ed the Father. Jesus the Son of God is, therefore, as much and 
as truly God, as the Father himself is : " for as the Father hath 
" life in himself \ so hath he given to the Son to have life in him- 
*'* self" John v. 26. Now to have life in himself \ is to be in- 



236 



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debted to no other being for it : in short, it is to be what we 
solemnly, emphatically, and in the highest sense of the word, call 
God. 

The doctrine here advanced is indeed grand, and pre-eminent- 
ly sublime. But whose doctrine is it ? who was it that first an- 
nounced it to an astonished world ? and, after holding it up to the 
admiration of saints and angels, (see Jude 3 ; 1 Pet. i. 12.) now 
again proclaims it as the new and " everlasting gospel, which must 
" be preached unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every 
" nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people ?" Apoc. xiv. 6. 
Too high to owe it's origin to any of the mere earth-born sons of 
nature, the doctrine acknowledges no other author, than the God 
of heaven himself, the great Personage, who is the subject of his 
own discourse, and who, in a nameless variety of forms, teaches 
us how to approach, how to contemplate, and how to love him. 



[106.] John xiv. Tto 9. Jesus said unto his disciples, If ye 
" had known Me, ye would have known my Father also : and from 
« henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto 
4i him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sumceth us. Jesus saith 
« unto him, Have J been so long time with you, and yet hast thou 
• fi not known Me. Philip ? He that hath seen Me, hath seen the 
" Father ; and how sayest thou then. Shew us the Father ?" 

Language like this speaks for itself. The Divine Wisdom, in 
causing these words to be recorded, has evidently anticipated the 
states of those, who, keeping their eye fixed upon the infirm hu- 
manity of our Lord, cannot discern his proper Divinity. Notwith- 
standing the miraculous powers, with which they have seen him 
invested, and the underived authority by winch he exercised them ; 
notwithstanding the many direct as well as indirect notices and 
declarations of his being One with the Father, which is the same 
thing as being the Father himself ; still, like their predecessor 
Philip, they entertain an idea that the great God of the universe 
is a Being perfectly distinct and different from Jesus : whom 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



237 



they regard in no other light, than merely as a messenger, a pro- 
phet, a deputed servant, acting under an especial commission re- 
ceived from his Divine Master, just as Moses and others had done 
before him. And though they are willing to allow him a kind of 
pre-eminence among the prophets, calling him, as they suppose 
the Scriptures do, by way of courtesy, the Son of God, when in 
fact they do not believe him to be such, according to the true 
meaning of the expression, it is very evident from our Lord's 
own words, that the honour and respect, which all such pay to 
his divine person, falls infinitely short of that which is his due. 
" If ye had known Me, (says he,) ye would have known my Fa- 
" ther also :" which is information plain enough, that the know- 
ledge of the Father is no greater knowledge, than the knowledge 
of Him : and, however paradoxical this may sound in the ears of 
some, it is nevertheless true, because the knowledge of the one is 
at the same time the knowledge of the other, at least so far as 
finite intellects can reach ; both the Father and Jesus being iden- 
tically one and the same Divine Being. 

The remaining part of the 7th verse corroborates our doctrine. 
Still speaking of the Father, Jesus continues, " And from hence- 
"forth ye know him, and have seen him.'" Whom now had Phi- 
lip and the other disciples seen, that they might have known the 
Father better than they did before ? Surely not any Father dif- 
ferent from Jesus ; for being still uncertain that Jesus meant him- 
self, Philip saith unto him, " Lord, shew us the Father, and it 
" sufficeth us." Jesus then must have been the very Father, 
whom Philip had seen. But if Jesus be the Father, he is at the 
same time also the Son. And as he cannot be both the Father 
and the Son in one and the same respect, it follows from this argu- 
ment, but especially from our Lord's own words in ver. 10, that 
he is called the Father in reference to his soul, or interior Divi- 
nity, and the Son in reference to his body, or Divine Humanity, 
In this, and in no other possible way, we do not hesitate to pro- 
nounce, can the Divine Unity be maintained from the Scriptures, 
consistently with those high ascriptions, which are so often and 
so gloriouslv made to the ever-blessed -Jesus. 



238 



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Well, but Philip is not yet satisfied ; and he is very anxious to 
see and to know the Father. How many Philips are there at this 
day ! desirous of knowing and approaching the Father, not in the 
person of Jesus, not as a God manifested in the flesh, and thus 
capable of being seen and loved as a Man 5 but as a Being al- 
together separate and distinct from him ! yea, as a Being with- 
out any form whatever, much less the Human Form Divine; 
which is the same thing as a Being without substance, without cha- 
racter, without quality, without attribute, and consequentlv with- 
out existence! Still' with -holding their faith from the only Object 
that is entitled to it, they are vainly seeking for another, on whom 
they may exercise it, and presumptuously climbing up some other 
way, instead of entering in to the real presence of Divinity by the 
open door of Humanity. 

But who can point the way ? who can instruct us in this great 
truth ? None but the Father himself. Let us listen to his voice. 
When Philip prayed, that he would shew him the Father, " Je- 
" sus saith unto him, Have /been so long time with you, and yet 
" hast thou not known Me, Philip ? He that hath seen Me, hath 
« seen the Father : and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Fa* 
"titer?" No language can be more explicit, no sentiment more 
clear, no doctrine more certain. To see the Father in any other 
form, in any other person, than that of Jesus, is not given either 
to angels or men : for no finite being can by any possibility behold 
the naked Divinity ; and therefore Jehovah said to Moses, 44 Thou 
44 canst not see my face ; for there shall no man see vie, and live," 
Exod. xxxiii. 20. Again it is written, 44 J\To man hath seen God 
44 at any time ; the only -begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the 
44 Father, he hath declared him," or rather 44 led him out into 
"manifestation," John i. 18. But to behold the divine person of 
Jesus, is to behold all that can be seen of Deity, by whatever name 
or title he may be distinguished, whether it be Jehovah, God, 
Father, Creator, Holy One of Israel, Ancient of Days, 
Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Almighty, 
or any other to be found in the Sacred Pages. Well then did our 
Lord tell Philip, that the sight of Him was tantamount to the sight 
of the Father : for the Father and he being One, yea One Person, 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



239 



just as the soul and body of a man are one person, it is plain, that 
the sight of the one is at the same time the sight of all that can be 
seen of the other. In vain, therefore, after having thus seen Je- 
sus, do we still say with Philip, u Lord, shew us the Father." 
Rather let us exclaim in the language of Peter, " Lord, to whom 
tt shall we go ? thou hast the words of eternal life," John vi. 68. 
Or else, turning to the prophetic page, and with our eyes and our 
hearts fixed upon the divine person of Jesus alone, let us in one 
word take the sum of revelation, and address the Saviour himself, 
saying, « Doubtless thou art our Father, though Abraham be igno- 
" rant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, 0 Jehovah, 
" art our Father, our Redeemer j thy name is from everlasting," 
Isa. lxiii. 16. . 

[107.] John xiv. 13, 14. " Whatsoever ye shall ask in my 
66 name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the 
" Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it" 



It is generally supposed, that to ask any thing in the name of 
Jesus, is to pray to another Being called the Father, either (ac- 
cording to the Trinitarian system) for the sake of the merits and 
sufferings of his Son, or (according to that of Unitarians) from a 
consideration of the important lessons of morality, which were 
taught by Jesus, and the views of immortality brought to light by 
the publication of the gospel. Now it is observable, that both 
these classes of professing Christians, viz. Trinitarians and Uni- 
tarians, are agreed in this one point, that their prayers are and 
ought to be directed to the Father immediately, as to a great invi- 
sible Being perfectly distinct from Jesus ; in which respect they 
can scarcely be said to differ from Jews, Mahometans, and Pa- 
gans. Trinitarians indeed will occasionally relax in this rule, 
which with each of the others is constant and inviolable. They 
will, for example, at times address their prayers to the Son, 
whom they consider to be a divine person existing from all eter- 
nity, equally as well as the Father himself: but they soon return 
to their favourite Object, (if that can be called an Object, which 



240 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



is incapable of being embraced by any thought or affection,) as if 
fearful of giving him umbrage or offence; and thus in common 
with their Unitarian brethren, nay (let us be honest and plain 
with each other,) in common with Jews, Mahometans, and Pa- 
gans, they offer up their devotions to an invisible, and conse- 
quently to an unknown God. In the practice of this kind of wor- 
ship they are also confirmed by various passages in the Word not 
understood in their genuine sense, and likewise by the circum- 
stance of Jesus himself praying to the Father, whose example 
therefore in this particular they hold themselves bound to follow : 
not considering, that Jesus or the Son, differently from all others, 
had seen the Father, or pure Divinity, John vi. 46, and was on 
that account qualified to address him immediately ; whereas all 
other beings, whether in heaven or on earth, are by the very con- 
dition of their existence, finite intelligences, for ever excluded 
from that privilege. 

Jesus says in John xvi. £3, " Whatsoever ye shall ask the Fa- 
" titer in my name, He will give it you." Hence too many have 
been led to infer, that they were authorized to pray to the Father 
immediately, as to a Being different from Jesus ; and that the 
Father, understood in such separate capacity, would grant their 
petitions. But this is a conclusion not to be justified by the pre- 
mises, being grounded in a total misapprehension of our Lord's 
words. Before their real purport can be discovered, we must 
first know what is meant by asking in the name of Jesus ; and 
this can only be ascertained by a comparison with other passages, 
wherein Jesus speaks on the same subject, but in terms more full 
and explicit, and which, in harmony with the present passage, 
will admit of no other interpretation, than that he himself is that 
very Father, to whom we are directed to pray, and who also pro- 
mises to fulfil our requests. 44 Whatsoever ye shall ask in my 
44 name," says Jesus, that will I do, that the Father may be glo- 
44 rified in the Son," John xiv. 13. And again, 44 If ye shall ask 
64 any thing in my name, I will do it," ver. 14. To which let us 
44 add the following : Come unto me, all ye that labour, and are 
44 heavy-laden, and / will give you rest," Matt. xi. 28. If any 
44 man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink," John vii. 37. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 241 



To ask the Father, therefore, in the name of Jesus, must be 
the same thing as to approach Jesus himself in person, under 
an acknowledgment, that the Divinity dwells within him, and is 
accessible only through the medium of his Humanity ; this being 
the character or quality, which is meant bj the name of Jesus : 
in which case it will evidently follow, that it must again be the 
same thing, whether it be said that the Father will perform our 
requests, or that the Son Jesus will perform them, since by both 
terms is plainly understood one and the same God. 

But will the words of our Lord above quoted admit of any 
other construction ? We think they will not, consistently w r ith 
each other, and with the general tenor of Holy Writ. One pas- 
sage indeed may be extracted or detached from it's connection in 
the Sacred Volume, and made to speak almost any language, or 
give forth almost any sound. But if we will allow to each portion 
it's due weight, regarding every truth of the Word as essentially 
necessary to the perfection of the whole, and ever keep in view 
the great design of the Christian dispensation, which is to pro- 
claim God manifest in the flesh, and the possibility of salvation, 
as the result of divine incarnation, there will be but little danger 
of our running into any fatal error either by perversion or by pro- 
fanation of the truth. On the contrary, we shall be led to see ? 
by a purer light than that which nature furnishes, how harmoni- 
ously all the parts of revelation conspire to demonstrate, first, 
the unity of the great God of the universe, and, secondly, the 
identity of that God with our ever-adorable Lord and Saviour 
Jesus Christ. 



[108.] John xiv. 16 to 18, "I will pray the Father, and he 
" shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you 
" for ever ; even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot re- 

ceive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him : but ye 
" know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will 
" not leave you comfortless; I will come to you" 

Hh 



£42 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



Here Jesus promises another Comforter, apparently distinct 
from himself: yet immediately after he adds, " I will not leave 
you comfortless 5 " i" will come to you." He must therefore have 
meant himself by the Comforter, but himself in another capacity 
or respect than in his personal presence, that is to say, in the spi- 
rit of truth proceeding from him, which, though different from his 
personal presence, he nevertheless identifies with himself by say- 
ing, " I will come to you." 

It is further observable, that though he says, ver. 16 and 26, 
that the Father will send the Comforter, yet in chap. xv. 26, and 
in chap. xvi. 7, he promises that he will himself send the Com- 
forter ; which not only proves that He and the Father are one 
and the same Divine Being, but likewise clearly explains what is 
meant by the Father sending in his name, viz. that it is neither 
more nor less than the proceeding of the spirit of truth immedi- 
ately out of the body of Jesus, from the Father or Essential Divi- 
nity within him. This is likewise fully confirmed by the Evan- 
gelist in chap. xx. 22, where it is written, that " Jesus breathed 
" on his disciples, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spi~ 
" rit." Moreover, from the passage last quoted, compared with 
ver. 23 of chap. xiv. and many other places, it is evident, that 
sending or being sent is, (more especially in reference to light or 
truth, as in Ps. xliii. 3.) in the language of Scripture, the same 
thing as emanating or proceeding, which again is the same thing 
as being accommodated to the reception* of man : for though it is 

* The reader is requested to mark this last explanation of what is meant 
by proceeding, when the term is used in reference to the operation of the Ho- 
ly Spirit upon the mind of man. Exteriorly considered, it may appear, that 
what proceeds from the Lord was not previously omnipresent ; from which it 
might again be inferred, that neither is the Lord himself omnipresent, from 
whom the procession is said to take place. But if the subject be viewed inte- 
riorly, it will be found, first, that the Lord is completely omnipresent, with 
ail his divine attributes, in every individual man ; and therefore, secondly, 
that nothing can in reality be said to proceed from him in any such way as to 
imply a local distance between him and the human mind ; but, thirdly, that 
his Holy Spirit of divine truth is said to proceed from him, when it is accora, 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 243 



s.o frequently declared, that the Father ivill send the Com- 
forter, and that Jesus ivill send him, yet it is also said, that both 
the Father and Jesus will come unto man, and make their 
abode with him. And such joint advent of both the Father and 
the Son takes effect in the human mind, whensoever the Huma- 
nity of Jesus is acknowledged to be Divine, or whensoever di- 
vine good and divine truth, divine love and divine wisdom, pro- 
ceeding from the Lord alone, take up their residence (so far as is 
consistent with a finite degree of reception) in the heart, in the 
understanding, and in the life. 



[109.] John xv. 5. Jesus said to his disciples, u Without mt 
H ye can do nothing." 

This certainly- would have been arrogance in the extreme, were 
TJesus any thing short of God himself. Man, as a finite crea- 
ture, is continually dependent on his Creator, and without a 
power derived from him can neither stir hand nor foot, muchles3 
perform any moral or spiritual action : for being only an organiz- 
ed form receptive of life, he must ever be indebted, both for fa- 
culty and ability, to him who is truly and independently life in 
himself. But there can be only One such in the universe: and 
he, who can with indisputable authority say to the whole human 
race, " Without me ye can do nothing," must surely in the very 
nature of things be that One. Now Jesus hath announced him- 
self in this high character, and still proclaims his exclusive prero- 
gative in language that will neither admit of amendment, nor of 
misinterpretation. Therefore Jesus is ? and must be^ the One 
Supreme Gob over all. 

modated to the reception of man, and when man actualhj lives under it's hea* 
venhj influence. 



244 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



[110.] John xv. 23, 24. " He that hateth me, hateth my Fa- 
« ther also. If I had not done among them the works, which 
" none other man did, they had not had sin : but now have they 
" both seen, and hated both me and my Father" 



In a preceding article, (No. 106,) we have already shewn, that 
the sight and knowledge of Jesus is the same thing as the sight 
and knowledge of the Father. A similar argument will apply 
on the present occasion ; because he who sees and hates the one, 
is described as seeing and hating the other also : and thus either 
case proves the identity of both. But, in addition to this argu- 
ment, another proof of the divinity of Jesus arises out of the 
passage now under consideration. He plainly asserts of himself, 
that he had performed works such as none other man ever did. 
What works were these ? Miracles ? Moses and Aaron, prophets 
and men of God, had previously wrought the same ; and some of 
them had even raised the dead to life. How then are we to un- 
derstand the words of Jesus, that " he had done among them the 
"works which none other man did?" Truly in no other way, 
than by considering, that all his works were performed with his 
own omnipotent hand, and by his own divine authority, he hav- 
ing plainly refused to confess any higher ; (see Matt. vii. 29 ; 
chap. xxi. 27 :) whereas the miracles performed by every other 
man were always under the acknowledgment of a power and au- 
thority superior to their own, and thus effected either in the name 
of Jehovah, or in the name of Jesus, both names being ever ex- 
pressive of one and the same omnipotent God.* 



[111.] John xvi. 8, 9. "When he [the Comforter] is come? 
" he will reprove the world of sin, because they believe not on 
65 me." 

* Magical miracles are here excepted, as forming no part of our present 

subject 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. PAS 



It is here declared to be a sin, not to believe in Jesus. Surely 
a man's faith ought to be directed to God, and it must be sinful 
to with-hold it. But where can the sin be, in not believing in a 
mere man ? Faith, so far as it has it's seat in the understanding, 
implies a knowledge of some Object or Being worthy of our high- 
est consideration, together with an acknowledgment that such 
Being is both able and willing to succour all, who humbly claim 
his protection. But faith, so far as it actuates and flows from the 
heart, further implies a trust and confidence in the divine mercy 
and favour of the same great Object, which can only rise up in the 
breast in consequence of living according to the laws prescribed 
in his Holy Word. With this view of the true nature of faith, 
how can a man be justified in fixing his supreme attention on any 
other Object, than Him, who both gives and again requires from 
us our best affections and thoughts, and who is too jealous to al- 
low of the smallest diminution of his glory by sharing it with 
another ? If Jesus be no more than a mere man, as the Socinian 
Unitarians suppose ; or if he be no more than a mere aristo-an- 
gelic creature, as the Arian Unitarians have designated him 5 nay, 
if he be no more than a mere secondary or subordinate person in 
what the Athanasian Trinitarians call the United Godhead ; how 
can faith, in any one of these imagined or rather imaginary cases, 
be directed to him, without at the same time, and in the same de- 
gree, detracting from the honour, and diminishing the glory, that 
exclusively belongs to the One Only Supreme God and Person, 
Jehovah the Father ? 

Taking up the first of the visionary schemes above named, viz. 
the Unitarian, and turning it about to look for it's face, that it 
may be more thoroughly inspected, we can discover nothing but 
features of mortality impressed on inanimate forms of matter ; 
the whole destitute alike of vital spirit, and of every thing that 
bears the stamp of divinity. Faith with-held from such an ob- 
ject, is rather a merit than a crime. It were sin to believe in him, 
or for a moment to fasten our eyes upon him, while a God, the 
fountain of all life and happiness, can be contemplated and 
adored. 



246 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OV 



Nothing better can be said of the second or Arian scheme : it 
also sinks into dust the moment that the light of heaven strikes 
upon it. For what is the highest creature in himself more than 
a worm ? And of what quality must that faith be, which embraces 
so mean an object ? Incapable of existing for a single moment 
without communicated life, how can he impart to another that, of 
which he himself stands so much in need, and for the enjoyment 
of which his gratitude, as well as his faith, trust, and confidence, 
will be for ever in arrears ? Vanity of vanities would it be for 
any one in the same condition of existence to look up to his feU 
low-worm either for life or salvation, and thus to exercise a faith 
in the creature, which exclusively belongs to the adorable Creator. 

As to the third-mentioned scheme, which is that of a Tri-per- 
sonal Godhead, it must ever be held as abhorrent both to revela- 
tion and to sound reason, as any other that can be invented by 
the ingenuity of man. For if a Divine Person be the same thing 
as a Divine Being, or a Divine Intelligence, (and one would 
think, no body could well deny the position,) then a Trinity of 
such Divine Persons must of necessity be a Trinity of Divine 
Beings or Divine Intelligences, which again is the same thing as 
a Trinity of Gods. But this surely can never be less repugnant 
to the truth of revelation, than it is to the reason and common 
sense of mankind. If there be three divine persons, they must 
differ in rank, in quality, or in attribute ; they cannot be in all 
respects alike, and yet remain three in number ; because similitude 
in all respects would only be another expression for unity and 
identity of person, or unity and identity of being. There must 
therefore be a difference of rank 5 and this implies, that in two 
of the divine persons some attribute or quality must be wanting 3 
which is to be found only in the first and supreme : not to mention 
the converse of the argument, that there must also be wanting 
some attribute or quality in the first person, which is possessed 
only by the second or third. And hence it may be seen, that a 
faith directed to any one of the subordinate persons, separately 
from the first in rank, or indeed to the first, and not at the same time 
to the two others, cannot be said to embrace the whole Deity, but 
only a certain portion of it. The misery of this scheme is, that 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &e. 247 



by dividing it destroys the Divine Unity, and renders the faith, 
that it recommends, as vain and inefficient, as a faith in any mere 
man, or in any mere angel. 

Seeing then that the various kinds or qualities of faith above 
specified are not such as we are called upon by the Scriptures to 
exercise, in reference to Jesus ; and yet it is declared, that when 
the Comforter is come, he will reprove the world of sin, because 
they believe not on him ; it follows, that the true faith consists 
in acknowledging Him alone as the One Supreme and Om- 
nipotent God 5 and that every deviation from this acknowledg- 
ment, whether it be by making him a mere man, or the first of 
created angels, or even a second person in what is very improper- 
ly called the Divine Trinity, is, in it's degree, no less that an ac- 
tual sin, a breach of the divine law, which severely prohibits us 
from serving any other God than One, or from so much as lifting 
up an eye or a thought, much less the affections of the heart, in 
the way of faith and worship, to any other Object than the Divine 
Man Jesus Christ. 



[112.] John xvi. 14. " He [the Spirit of truth] shall glorify 
" me : for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you." 

The Spirit of truth may be said to glorify Jesus, whensoever 
it is demonstrated by the true sense of the Sacred Scriptures, 
which is the genuine light of heaven, that he alone is God, the 
fountain and source of all that is good, and true, and holy, in the 
church. It is added, " He shall receive of mine by which we 
are to understand, that the Spirit of truth, which is the Holy Spi- 
rit, shall proceed from him. But as nothing holy can proceed 
from any being in heaven or on earth, save from the Lord God 
Almighty, who in Apoc. xv. 4, is declared to be " alone holy," 
it follows, that Jesus is and must be that same Lord God Al- 
mighty, of whom David also writes, when he says, " Holy and 
66 reverend is his name," Ps. cxi. 9. This is further confirmed by 
the coincidence observable in the before-cited verse of the Apoca- 



248 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



Ijpse with the passage in the Gospel. Jesus says in the Gospel, 
"He [the Spirit of truth] shall glorify me:" and in the Apoca- 
lypse it is written, « Who shall not fear thee, 0 Lord, and glo* 
*' e rify thy name ? for thou only art holy." 



[113.] John xvi. 15, "Ml things that tlie Father hath, are 

mine" 



No description of Deity, as applicable to Jesus, can go beyond 
this, because it includes, almost in one word, every attribute, 
power, and perfection, which the human mind can conceive of, as 
in any way appertaining to the Supreme God. Nay more, it em- 
braces (if language in any respect can be said to do so) that in- 
finity of perfection, which only to think of overwhelms the capa- 
city of man, and sinks him as it were into nothing. How far 
above the character of a mere man, or a mere creature of any 
name, must He be, who, looking at the purely divine essence, and 
able to sustain it within himself in all it's intensity of vital fire, 
collects as it were it's scattered rays into the burning focus of 
his heart, and for ever concentrates within the bosom of Huma- 
nity, all the energies, powers, virtues, and nameless perfections 
of the self-existent, sole-existent, and eternal Divinity ! Yet 
such is the high character assumed by Jesus. Whatsoever of 
infinity, immensity, and eternity ; whatsoever of love, wisdom* 
and life, in their first and purest principles, as well as in their 
last and lowest effects, belongs to the great Parent of the uni- 
verse, he claims as his own I If the Father be omnipotent, om- 
niscient, and omnipresent, ruling the heavens above, and the 
earth below, together with all things that have existence either in 
the spiritual or in the natural world ; the same power and sove- 
reignty are in the hands of Jesus. By the breath of his mouth 
were they created, and for his pleasure they exist. Apoc. iv. 11* 
John i. 3, 10. 

In short, all things, which belong to the Father, or Essential 
Uivinity, without any exception whatever, belong to, and are the 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. g$ 

fight of, Jesus the Son, or the Divine Humanity. For as the 
body of a living man possesses and exercises all the powers and 
energies of the soul, so in like manner, but infinitely above the 
comparison, does the Humanity, called Jesus, possess and ex- 
ercise all the powers and perfections of the Divinity, called the 
Father. 

[114.] John xvii. 3. "This is life eternal, that they might 
" know Thee the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom thou 
" hast sent."* 



Nothing can be more full in proof of the supreme divinity of 
Jesus, in the way maintained by the New Church, than these 
words, when properly understood ; although most unaccountably 
even Unitarians quote them in support of a contrary doctrine. 
Life eternal is here stated to consist in two things, viz. first, in 
the knowledge of the Father, who is called the only true God ; 
and, secondly, in the knowledge of Jesus Christ* whom he hath 
sent. The first part of the proposition, namely, the knowledge 
of the only true God, will be readily admitted by all, as a most 
essential constituent of life eternal. But on a supposition that 
Jesus is a mere man, how strange must it appear, to find it as- 
serted and insisted upon, that the knowledge of him is to the full 
as necessary and as essential to our future happiness and well- 
beingj as the knowledge even of the only true God! If Jesus be 
no more than a prophet, like Moses, or Elijah, or Jonah} or Amos, 
delegated and commissioned by another, who is God, to deliver 
his will and word, what virtue can there be in the knowledge of 
him, any more than of them ? Or what conceivable benefit can 
arise from the equal consideration of a worm and of the great Jlu* 
thor of all being? The thought is too degrading, too mean, to 

* A fuller explanation of this passage, with reference to it's Socinian inter- 
pretation, may be seen in Mr. Hindmarsh's Letters to Dr. Priestley, page 
W2 S he, — im. Pub, 

ii 



250 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



bear any affinity with the truth of revelation : for this incessant- 
ly teaches, that in all our approaches towards Deity there must 
be no association of the creature with the Creator, no acknow- 
ledgment of any other saving power, than that which is purely 
divine. 

How then are we to understand our Lord's words, consistently 
with all those lessons of wisdom, which he has so repeatedly laid 
down for our use ? It cannot for a moment be doubted, but, if 
we view the two propositions above stated in their true and ge- 
nuine light, the harmony, beauty, and importance of both will ap- 
pear most evident. The Sacred Scriptures abundantly teach us, 
that by the term Father, who is called the only true God, is 
meant the divine essence, or pure Divinity, in itself invisible and 
unapproachable 5 and by the term Son, or Jesus Christ, who is 
said to be sent, because conceived from the Father, is understood 
the divine form, or Divine Humanity, visible and approachable, 
as the proper medium of access to the Divinity. Under this point 
of view it is easy to discern the true reason why it is said, that 
life eternal consists in knowing both the Father and Jesus 
Christ the Son : for if the Father be like the soul or essence, and 
the Son like the body or form, then the knowledge of the one will 
be as essential and as necessary, as the knowledge of the other ; 
since both together constitute only one and the same God, as the 
soul and body constitute only one and the same man. 

Or, if we descend still lower in the scale of creation, and take 
up the first of the inanimate subjects of nature, for illustration of 
the same truth, it may be clearly comprehended, that, as on the 
presence of the sun, by means of the rays of light and heat, which 
proceed from it, and which are also in a manner continuous with 
it, depends the natural life of vegetables and of animals in this 
world ; so comparatively, yet again infinitely above the compari- 
son, on the presence or acknowledgment of the divine love, which 
is spiritual fire, and is called the Father sending forth the Son, 
and of the divine wisdom, which is spiritual light, and is called 
the Son coming forth from the Father, entirely depends the spi- 
ritual and eternal life of man in the world to come. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c, 251 



Many other similitudes, in the way of illustration, might be 
collected from the wide theatre of nature, all tending to confirm 
the great truths of revelation : but none of them will be found so 
perfect in it's kind, and so satisfactory to the view, as those which 
we have now brought forward, especially the first. For the more 
we depart from the contemplation of man, who alone was created 
in the perfect image and likeness of his Maker, to any of the 
other forms or subjects of nature, the further removed from the 
original source of life do we perceive all the analogies, correspon- 
dences, and images of spiritual things. And hence no picture 
can be presented to the mind so truly, so clearly, and so fully ex- 
planatory of the Scripture doctrine of the Father and the Son, 
their distinction, and yet their unity and identity, as the parallel 
which we have so repeatedly drawn between those two names of 
Deity, and the soul and body of an individual man. 

W e do not here speak of the analogy subsisting between the 
Holy Spirit and the proceeding operation of man, because the 
passage in John, which we are now endeavouring to illustrate, 
makes no mention whatever of the Holy Spirit. And this omis- 
sion is itself at least a strong presumptive proof, in opposition to 
the Trinitarian system, that the Holy Spirit is not a divine per- 
son separate and distinct from the Father and the Son. For were 
he such a distinct person ; and were all the three persons toge- 
ther necessary to make up the complete Godhead, or in other 
words, one entire God, the knowledge of whom is declared to be 
life eternal ; then surely, it is reasonable to expect, the Holy Spi- 
rit would have been expressly named, as well as the other two 
persons. But nothing of the kind appears : not a word is said of 
the necessity of knowing this supposed third person, but only of 
knowing the Father and Jesus Christ. " This is life eternal, 
" that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus 
& Christ whom thou hast sent." 

Instead of a Triad, here is only a Duad, which, so far from 
agreeing with the tri-personal scheme, leads us at once to detect 
it's fallacy, and to see that it is both a gratuitous and a useless 
invention. For all that man spiritually stands in need of, being 
eternal life, is to be obtained by the knowledge of two things, 



252 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS Of* 



viz. the divine good called the Father, and the divine truth call- 
ed the Son; besides which there are, and can be, no other con- 
ceivable principles of life either in heaven or on earth, capable of 
yielding permanent happiness to the human mind. The various 
modes, mediums, and accommodations, by which this saving know- 
ledge is brought to man, whether through the presence and in- 
strumentality of angelic spirits, themselves already under the in- 
fluence of holy truth, or through instruction from the Word, and 
from other writings illustrative of it, form another subject of con- 
sideration, not required to be distinctly noticed by our Lord in 
the passage above cited, but which are nevertheless involved in 
the very knowledge there spoken of. 

Hence we see, that the Father and the Son. united in one, in- 
clude all that can in strict propriety be held up to view as a visi- 
ble Object of worship, or as & personal concentration of all the di- 
vine attributes and perfections. From this personal Object in- 
deed proceeds a sphere of divine influence, operating upon all 
who in any measure become susceptible of it, according to their 
several degrees and capacities of reception : and this sphere of 
1ioliness, as entering into, illuminating, and blessing angels, spi- 
rits, and men, is what is properly meant by the Holy Spirit, the 
Spirit of truth, and the Comforter, which shall lead and guide 
into all necessary and saving truth. But still no other Object, as 
an Object, than the Essential Divinity called the Father, and the 
Divine Humanity called the S<on, united together in one visibh 
and glorified person, can ever engage the direct, immediate, and 
proper worship of the creature. Whereas, on a supposition of 
there being absolutely three distinct persons in the constitution of 
One God, as taught by Trinitarians, it is a most unaccountable 
circumstance, that Jesus, who came into the world, among other 
things, for the very purpose of revealing and manifesting the en- 
tire God, should yet, in stating the conditions of eternal life as 
above, have altogether omitted the mention of any third person, 
who, in the estimation of Trinitarians, is at least one third pari 
of Deity, and as essential a part too as either of the others, being 
co-eternal, and in other respects co-equal with both the Father 
2nd the Son, 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



253 



It is impossible, therefore, with our eyes in any degree open 
10 the light of truth, for a moment to give countenance to any 
such idea, as either a trinity or a duality of divine persons in the 
Godhead. But at the same time we are constrained to acknow- 
ledge, that, wheresoever in the Word we are led to contemplate a 
divine duality. that is, a nominal distinction between Jehovah and 
the Messiah, as in Moses and the Prophets ; between the Fa- 
ther and the Soy, as in the Gospels ; or between God and the 
Lamb, the Lord and his Christ, as in the Apocalypse ; in each, 
of these cases we are to understand the invisible Divinity and 
the visible Humanity of one and the same God, which also coin- 
cide with his divine love and his divine wisdom, or his divine 
good and his divine truth. 

And again, whensoever we meet with expressions, that evi* 
dently announce a divine trinity, we are in like manner con- 
strained to refer them to one only person, to one only Object of 
our love and worship ; considering, that they are intended to 
point out to us, first of all, the two essentials of love and wisdom, 
or of Divinity and Humanity, already named, and in addition 
thereto a third essential, consisting of both the former in action, 
operation, or use. Precisely as a man may be said to consist, in 
the first place, of two human essentials, called his soul and his 
body, and in addition thereto of a third essential, the effect or re- 
sult of the two former, and called his proceeding a.ction or opera- 
tion. 

If now with these views of the two constituent principles of 
man, who bears, or was created to bear, the image and likeness of 
God, we turn to the passage, where our Lord teaches us to look 
up to the Father and to himself conjointly for salvation and eter- 
nal life, we shall clearly perceive the genuine sense intended to 
he conveyed, namely, that, instead of directing our thoughts to 
the contemplation of two distinct Objects or Beings, the one di- 
vine, and the other merely human, his words resolve themselves 
at once into the plain and simple idea of knowing, acknowledging., 
and adoring the One Jehovah God alone in his Divine or Glq- 
£jfied Humanity, 



254 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



[115.] John xvii. 5. " And now, O Father, glorify thou me with 
" thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the 
44 world was." 



Two most important considerations arise out of these words. 
The first is, that Jesus was capable of being so far glorified, as to 
be united even with the very Self of Jehovah the Father, that is, 
with the pure and naked Divinity. Now no mere man, no an- 
gel, no created being, can for a single moment endure such in- 
tense glory, as that must be, which belongs to the personal as- 
semblage of all the divine perfections, every one of which is infi- 
nite and eternal. From this consideration, therefore, it follows, 
that Jesus, who was capable of entering into a glory inaccessible 
to all others, and thus of dwelling in the very bosom or centre of 
Divinity, could be no other than a Being infinitely surpassing 
every created intelligence both in dignity of character and sa- 
cred n ess of person. And being thus infinitely elevated above 
all that bears the name of creature, he could not have been less 
than God himself, who, after having laid his glory aside for a 
time, and humbled himself to assume a terrestrial humanity, 
again returned into that glory inconceivable, which he had before 
all worlds, and which, breaking forth with increased splendor 
both in heaven and in the church, caused " the light of the moon 
" to be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun to be se° 
" ven -fold, as the light of seven days," Isa. xxx. 26. 

The next most important doctrine arising out of the passage 
before us is, the pre-existence of Jesus before the creation of the 
world. « Glorify thou me (says he to the Father) with thine own 
f- self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was." 
Could a mere man have had any existence before the creation of 
the world ? Where could he have placed his foot, when as yet 
there was neither space, nor time, nor matter ? neither firmament 
above, nor earth beneath ? neither light, nor heat, nor any one 
comfort to support and continue his existence ? Nay, could any 
angel, archangel, seraph, or other created power, have been 
brought into being, before there was a world (either spiritual or 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



255 



natural) provided to hold or contain him ? Must not a house be 
built, before it can receive an inhabitant ? So must not the creation 
of the world have taken place, before any finite, rational being 
could have been formed, to occupy a part of it?* But He, who could 

* It is in agreement with every law of divine order, that the ultimate or 
lowest base of existence be first provided, before the end of creation can be 
obtained. The end of creation is the angelic heaven, to be formed out of the 
human race, which may (if possible) bear some kind of respect to it's infinite 
Creator : and this respect to the infinite Creator can only be produced by the 
indefinite and never-ceasing increase of it's inhabitants, as well as by their 
eternal advances in mental excellency and perfection. Hence, 1. It became 
necessary to create, by means of the sun and atmospheres, spiritual and natu- 
ral, a terraqueous globe, which by successive changes and revolutions, both 
annual and diurnal, might in due time be prepared as a fit soil to receive the 
future herbage, before any kind of vegetable seeds could be formed. 2. It 
became necessary, that the waters of the globe should in a great degree be 
separated from the land, collected together, and portioned out into oceans, 
seas, lakes, rivers, &c. &c. before any kind of fishes could be produced to in- 
habit them. 3. It became necessary also, that a plentiful supply of plants, 
herbs, and vegetables of every description should be provided, before animals 
in general could be formed, in order that, when brought into existence, they 
might immediately have the opportunity of selecting their proper sustenance. 
4. It was necessary again, that, in addition to the mineral and vegetable king- 
doms of nature, animals or living creatures, in all their varieties, should have 
been formed for the service and use of the future man, before he could make 
his appearance on the theatre of creation. 5. And it was also necessary, that, 
when all things conducive to the well-being and comfort of man were thus 
provided, he should at length be ushered into the natural world, as a preli- 
minary stage of existence, where a ground might first be laid for his acquisi- 
tion of science, intelligence, and wisdom, before he could become a purely 
spiritual and celestial being, mother words, be forest could become an angel, 
or an inhabitant of heaven. 

Thus we perceive, that, while the great end of creation, namely, the ex- 
istence of an angelic heaven, wherein the Creator may be known and adored, 
is first and principally held in contemplation by the Divine Mind, it is yet 
last of all attained, because the means or steps requisite to promote it must 
of necessity precede. 

From this view of the order, according to which all the divine operations 
are conducted, it may plainly appear, that no angels either were created, or 
indeed could have been created originallv as angels, and so placed immedi- 



£56 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



and did exist before the creation of the world, who needs no su« 
to lighten his steps, because he is the light itself, and who stoops 
down to behold the things which are in time and space, nay, 
which are in the heavens above time and space, comes not within 
the description of any limited intelligence, whether human or an- 
gelic ; but being originally and independently life in himself, and 
thus truly and properly self -existent, can be considered in no 
other light, than as the great Builder of the universe, from eter- 
nity to eternity the same unchangeable and adorable God. 

Having already repeatedly explained the distinction, which is 
observed in many parts of the Sacred Scriptures, between the 
Father and the Son, the Divinity and the Humanity, the divine 
essence and the divine form, the divine love and the divine wis- 
dom, the divine good and the divine truth, it is the less necessary 
to dwell upon it on the present occasion. It may however be 
proper to remark, that, as the assumption of the human nature 
in the world, by the descent of the Lord in the capacity of divine 
truth proceeding from divine good called the Father, was with 
him a state of humiliation, or obscuration of his former glory, so 
the return of the same to the Father, or the reciprocal unition of 
the Father with the Son, and of the Son with the Father, is what 
is meant by the glorification both of the one and the other. 
Hence it is written, " Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God 
€i is glorified in him. If God be glorified in him, God shall also 
" glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him," John 
xiii. 31, 32. Again, " Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that 

ately in a heavenly or angelic state of perfection ; neither do the Scriptures 
any where teach or inculcate such a doctrine : but they must first of all have 
been so formed, as to acquire a kind of natural basis for themselves, not only 
that they might become permanent in their existence, but that they might 
also from such basis be successively advancing in wisdom and happiness to* 
eternity. And hence it further appears, that what is first in point of time, 
is last in point of dignity and consideration ; and, on the contrary, that what 
is last in time, is yet the first in end or view, being that to which all prior 
states had respect, and for the sake of which they were permitted to exist, 
So true, even in this respect, are the words of our Lord, where he says, " The 
* last shall be first, and the first last," Matt. xx. 16. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 25: 



will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son," John 
xiv. 13. And again " Father, the hour is come ; glorify thy Son, 
" that thy Son also may glorify thee" John xvii. 1. 

Now that this glory, which is given by the Father to the Son, 
is not a glory transferred from himself to another separate and 
distinct being, which would be the case, if Jesus were not one 
and the same with the Father, is evident also from the solemn de- 
claration of Jehovah by the prophet Isaiah : " I am Jehovah, 
"that is my name, and my glory ivill I not give to another" Isa. 
xlii. 8. It follows then, when the Father glorified the Son, that 
he actually and literally glorified himself; since the Father and 
the Son, or the Divinity and the Humanity, together constitute 
onlv one and the same Divine Person. 



[116.] John xvii. 10. " All mine are thine, and thine are mine f 
•< and I am glorified in them. 5 ' 



This is the language of Jesus to the Father, and it involves 
all that has been said on similar words in John xvi. 15, 66 All 
" things that the Father hath, are mine," But in the present pas- 
sage it is further declared, that all things, which belong to Jesus, 
are also the Father's : by which, in conjunction with the other 
part of the verse, we are given to understand, that the union be- 
tween the Father and the Son, or the Divinity and the Humanity? 
was mutual and reciprocal; and consequently, that, as all the 
characters of Divinity attach to the Humanity, so on the other 
hand all the characters of Humanity do in like manner attach to 
the Divinity, And hence we conclude, as the first, the last, and 
the greatest of all revealed truths, being that to which all others 
either directly or indirectly refer, That there is nothing in the 
divine nature, but what tends to the human form, and may be truly 
said to be humanized in the divine person of our Lord and Saviour 
Jesus Christ ; while again there is nothing in the human nature^ 
but what in him also bears the character and impression of the 
divine essence* and therefore must ever be regarded as entirel/ 

Kk 



258 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



divinized. Thus in Jesus Christ alone God is altogether Man, 
and Man is altogether God. Such is the doctrine of the true 
Christian religion ; and any thing short of this deserves not to be 
honoured with the name of Christianity. 

It may perhaps be supposed from the verses preceding that 
above explained, that the words mine and thine refer to persons, 
and not to things, that is, to those disciples who followed Jesus, 
and who are said, ver. 6, to have been given to him by the Fa- 
ther out of the world. But though these are allowed to be in- 
cluded in the expressions, and though, as the first-fruits of the 
Christian church, they represented all who were afterwards to 
become Christians, and who therefore might be called equally the 
children of Jesus and of the Father ; yet in the original Greek the 
words are in the neuter gender, and clearly imply, that all things 
belonging to Jesus are the property of the Father, and that all 
things belonging to the Father are in like manner the property 
of Jesus. The reciprocal union between them, like that of the 
soul with the body, and of the body with the soul, best explains 
the true meaning of the passage. 



flir.] John xviii. SS, 36, 57. ^* Pilate called Jesus, and said 
» ; unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews? Jesus answered, 
"My kingdom is not of this world : if my kingdom were of this 
" world, then would my servants fight; that I should not be de- 
" livered to the Jews. Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou 
" a King then ? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a King." 

From this passage it appears most evidently, that Jesus was 
a King ; for (agreeably to the idiom of the original language) 
he plainly acknowledges himself to be such. That he was also 
the King of the Jews, seems equally to be admitted by him : and 
the superscription upon the cross, though written by Pilate, and 
objected to by the chief priests, John xix. 21, perfectly coincides 
with the title and character given him at the time of his birth by 
the wise men, who came from t}ie east to Jerusalem^ saying, 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS* &c. 25.9 

41 Where is he that is born King of the Jews ? for we have seen 
*<his star in the east, and are come to worship him," Matt. ii. 2. 
It agrees again with the words of the prophet referred to and con- 
firmed by the Evangelists, where it is written, " Rejoice greatly, 
66 O daughter of Zion ; shout, 0 daughter of Jerusalem : behold, 
" thy King cometh unto thee : he is just, and having salvation, 
" lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an 
" ass," Zeeh. ix. 9. Matt, xxi, 5. John xii. 15. But at the same time 
Jesus declares, that his kingdom is not of this world: Then it 
must be of the spiritual world ; for there are only two worlds in 
existence, the spiritual and the natural. In the natural world 
there are many kings ; but in the spiritual world there is only 
One King, and he is called King of kings, and Lord of lords. 
The title is truly applicable to the ever-living Jehovah of hosts, 
whom David calls " a great King above all gods," Ps. xcv. 3 : 
and yet it is expressly given to Jesus as the Lamb, Apoc. xvii* 
14; and again to the same Jesus as the Word, under the de- 
scription of a Man, chap. xix. 16. 

If now Jesus assumes to himself the title and character of 
King, and further declares, that his kingdom is established in that 
world where all is spiritual, and above what is natural ; and if 
moreover it appears from other testimonies of Holy Writ, as well 
as from the reasonableness of the thing itself, that there is only 
One King of saints and angels, and that the great Jehovah him* 
self is that King; then no other conclusion can be drawn from 
the premises, than that Jesus and Jehovah are one and the same 
eternal and omnipotent King of Glory. 

This great doctrine, however, though most evidently the very 
truth of divine revelation, we are sensible will not be admitted 
by every professor of the Christian name. For with some minds 
an almost insuperable objection lies against the possibility of any 
being in the form of a Man exercising the just prerogatives of 
Deity, And although these are expressly ascribed, in many parts 
of the Scriptures, to our Saviour Jesus Christ, still an incredu- 
lous abatement in the acknowledgment of his high title too often 
leaves no other idea of his person, than that of simple humanity. 
It is now as it was in ancient times : when the first king of Israel 



260 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



was announced and proclaimed to the people, " the children of 
" Belial said, Row shall this Man save us ? And they despised 
" him, and brought him no presents," 1 Sam. x. 27. So in the 
present day also, when the Great Personage, whom Saul and the 
other kings of Israel represented, is actually announced and pro- 
claimed to Christians as their rightful and only Sovereign, too 
many are to be found among them, who in like manner may be 
said to despise him, to with -hold from him their expected pre- 
sents of allegiance and worship, and in spirit to say, " How can 
« this Man save us ?" " We will not have this Man to reign 
s< over us," Luke xix. 14. 

And here, as an occasion is given, we are led to notice an opi- 
nion very prevalent among both Unitarians and Trinitarians, re- 
lative to the kingdom, of which our Saviour speaks, and of which 
also he claims to be the great King. The Apostle Paul, in his 
first Epistle to the Corinthians, chap. xv. 24 to 28, observes con- 
cerning Christ, the Son of God, that he will, at the period call- 
ed the end, which he appears to fix at or soon after his second 
advent, " deliver up the kingdom to God even the Father ; when 
« he shall have put down all rule, and all authority and power. 
" For (he continues) he must reign until he hath put all enemies 
*'< under his feet." And he concludes this view of the subject by 
saying, that, " when all things shall be subdued unto him, then 
" shall the Son also himself be subject unto him (the Father) 
^ that put all things under him, that God may be all in all" 

From the terms and manner, in which this passage is express- 
ed, three things have been inferred, which are as follow: 1. That 
Jesus is a King. 2. That he will continue to reign as a King in 
his Kingdom for a certain period only, viz. until he shall have 
put down all rule, authority, and power, that is, until he shall 
have conquered and subdued all his enemies. And, S. That, af- 
ter this great work shall have been accomplished by him, then he 
himself (the Son) shall resign his power, his authority, and his 
crown, and become subject to God the Father, in common with 
the rest of his children, in order that God may be all in all ; in 
other words, that Jesus, after having been advanced to princely 
power and pre-eminence over the rest of his brethren for a limited 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 261 

time, shall in the end resign his honours, or be deprived of his 
high distinction, that no other being but the Supreme God him- 
self may be contemplated and adored.* 

* The late learned Dr. Akseim Bayly, who was Sub-Dean of Westminster, 
and a great advocate for the doctrine of a trinity of divine persons in the 
Godhead, very frequently had occasion to visit me when I lived in Clerken- 
well, London. Many times did the Doctor expatiate on the great advantages 
derived from the merits and sufferings of Jesus Christ, the second person 
(as he called him) in the divine trinity; and from his mediation and inter- 
cession with the Father in behalf of his people, which he said would be con- 
tinued in their favour even after they were comfortably settled in heaven. 
On a particular occasion, "Oh!" exclaimed he in rapture, " when I arrive 
5* in the other world, howl will magnify and adore the Saviour of the world 
« Jesus Christ for his goodness in consenting to die, in order that he might 
" appease the Father's wrath, or at least avert it from falling upon the heads 
" of the guilty ! I shall think of nothing else, but how I may extol Us name, 
4t who has already done so much for us, and who still undertakes to be our 
" perpetual advocate P' 

On asking him, whether he conceived, that the mediatory office of Jesus 
Christ would ever cease ; and how he understood that passage in Paul, 
where it is written, " Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered 
" up the kingdom to the Father ; and when the Son also himself shall be sub- 
" ject unto the Father, that God may be all in alh" he replied, still in a 
strain of uncommon rapture, " O yes ! the power and kingdom of Christ 
" will continue until enemies are subdued; and then, introducing us into 

the immediate presence of 'his Father, he will resign his charge, and we shall 
** be so filled with a sense of the supreme dignity and majesty of the Father, 
" that no other person or object will ever more be able to engage our atten- 
" tion: in short, as the Apostle says, God himself will be all in allP* 

Here the Doctor's eyes, countenance, and hands, were all lifted up towards 
the skies ; and so full of extasy did he appear to be in the contemplation of 
his subject, that I thought he was almost ready to atari ayoay, that he might 
enter upon it's immediate enjoyment, and leave behind him nothing but the 
shell of his spirit, that is to say, his material body, as a subject for my contem- 
plation! Not willing, however, that my friend should take his leave of me 
in so abrupt a manner, I ventured to recal him from the clouds by putting to 
him the following questions: "Well, Doctor; but after this great even* 
" shall have taken place, and God the Father, as you say, shall actually have 
" been bailed and acknowledged by the human race as their all in all; What 
? is then to become of Jesus Christ? When, all his services shall have been 



262 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



Such are supposed to be the sentiments of the Apostle Paul 
concerning the Son of God : and many have on this ground, or 

a performed ; when all his sufferings, his merits, his mediation and inter- 
" cession, shall have been crowned with the long-desired success, in restor- 
" ing to divine favour the rebellious children of men ; what are to be the 
" final honours, which will be awarded to him ? Is he at last to mix in th* 
" crowd of blessed spirits, undistinguished, unnoticed, and forgotten? Or is 
" he to stand near but behind the throne of his Father, in company with the. 
*' Holy Ghost, a silent and neglected spectator of the happiness of millions, 
" whose enjoyments now so completely fill their minds, as to leave no room 
" for any recollections of gratitude and love to their once adored Benefactor ? 
" In short, is the Saviour of mankind, after having actually saved them, at last 
" to be deprived of the honour and the glory of having effected, even upon 
" your own system, what no other being in the universe could have accom- 
plished?" 

No sooner were these questions seriously proposed to the Doctor, than he 
suddenly fell from the elevation, to which the warmth of his imagination had 
before raised him , and, with his feet now fixed upon the plain but firm ground 
of common sense, he began to walk as it were in a new path ; while I could 
perceive some of the scales, formed by the old and deservedly to be explod= 
ed science of school theology, beginning to drop from his eyes. " I fear," 
(says he, in a tone of voice now lowered to the pitch of thoughtful reflec- 
tion,) " I fear there is some error, some confusion in this business : we have 
" been led to take the words of Paul in their common acceptation, just as 
" they present themselves to the eye, without sufficiently considering how 
" far the sense we put upon them is consistent or inconsistent even with our 
" own views of the character and offices of Jesus Christ. I now begin to see, 
et that our doctrine of the trinity, and the consequences of that doctrine, are 
" not quite so reconcileable to themselves, to the reason of the thing, and per= 
" haps to the Scriptures, as we have generally supposed them to be. But 
M what can we do ? The sentiments I have been stating concerning the offi= 
" ces of Christ, their duration, and termination, are so interwoven with 
a Christianity, that I do not see how they can be separated from it- And 
" though in some respects they appear contradictory to it likewise, yet we 
" cannot altogether give them up, lest we should at the same time part with 
u the truth itself : for in these, as in many other points, we are surrounded 
£t with inexplicable difficulties." 

I concluded the conversation by telling him, that the difficulties, of which 
he complained, were all of his own church's tri-personal manufacture ; that 
Christianity itself was perfectly free from them, being a system of pure, hea* 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 263 



from his authority, confirmed themselves in the idea, that Jesus 
is no other than a mere man, or a mere angel, or at any rate, if 
at all a participator in divinity, no more than a mere subordinate 
organ of Deity, equally bound with every other order of rational 
and intelligent beings, to yield a final reverence and obedience 
to him who is called the Father. They will allow indeed, be- 
cause they cannot deny what is so plainly written in the Gospels, 
that " the Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into 
" his hand," John iii. 35 ; that " all things that the Father hath 9 
" are his" John xvi. 15 ; and that " all power is given unto him 
66 in heaven and in earth" Matt, xxviii. 18. Yet they will insist 
also, that this great power and authority are only delegated or lent 
to him for a time, not as a matter of right, but of favour and re- 
ward ; and that when the end shall come, then he will be most 
ungraciously stripped of his temporary honours, and will return 
back into the hands of his Father all that he had previously re* 
ceived from him. Thus, not content with proclaiming what may 
be considered as a kind of revolution in the government of hea» 
ven, by the transfer of divine royalty from the Supreme God to 
one of his subjects, or at least to one of lower rank than himself^ 
they call out for the assistance of Paul to support them in their 
indigested scheme of a counter-revolution, by dethroning Jesus, 
and again attempting to set up in his room an invisible King, 
called the Father, whom no man, whom no angel, ever did see? 
or ever can see, upon the imperial throne of the universe. 

That some such conclusion, as that here stated, apparently fol- 
lows from the language used by Paul, cannot be denied : and it 
is perhaps doing no injustice to that great Apostle to suppose it 
possible, that he might for once, while writing on the subject, have 
suffered his imagination to conceive, with Philip, that besides an<J 
above Jesus Christ there was still another greater Being, called 
the Father, who in the end was alone to receive the worship and 
homage of the whole creation. But if he did for a moment so 

venly truth, calculated, beyond every other known religion in the world, to en- 
lighten the human understanding, and to bless mankind with the knowledge 
of the one only true God Jesus Chbist, 



264 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



conceive of Jesus, and of his kingdom, it may well be asked. 
From what part of Holy Scripture did he, or could he, collect 
such an idea ? The passage, which most evidently lie has in view, 
when he first starts the subject, is that in David, where, speaking 
of Jesus, or what is the same thing, of the Humanity called 
Lord, which was to be assumed and glorified by the Divinity 
called Jehovah, he introduces the one as addressing the other, 
for the sake of more distinct and perfect description, in these 
words: f< Jehovah said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right 
64 hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool," Ps. ex. 1. To 
sit at the right hand of Jehovah, is to be vested with omnipo- 
tence ; such being the oriental and scriptural mode of expressing 
the acquisition of divine power by the Humanity, after it's as- 
sumption, and on it's glorification, This acquisition of divine 
power plainly characterizes Jesus as a King ; and therefore the 
first inference, deducibie from the words of the Psalmist, and from 
those of the Apostle, is clearly established. 

But it is said, in the second place, that he will continue to 
reign, or to sit at the right hand of Jehovah, until his enemies 
are subdued, and become his footstool. It is perhaps possible, 
that this manner of speaking may have suggested the idea of some 
period or limitation being put to the duration of our Lord's king- 
dom : for it may be argued, that he will remain in power only un- 
til his enemies are brought into subjection ; and that then, as ex- 
pressed in the third inference or conclusion, he will give up the 
kingdom to the Father, that God may be all in all ; by which is 
understood, that he will no longer be King, when the purposes, 
for which he was appointed to that office, have been fully accom- 
plished. Such an interpretation of the passage, however, is to- 
tally inconsistent with the many other declarations of Scripture, 
which all agree in representing the kingdom of our Lord as eter- 
nal in itfs duration. (See Apoc. i. 8, 11, 17, 18; chap. v. 13; 
chap. xi. 15, John ill - 50; chap. x. £8; aud many others.) And 
even Paul himself, who in one place talks of the Son giving up 
the kingdom to the Father, apparently as though he were to re- 
sign it to some superior Being, in another place quotes the au- 
thority of the inspired Psalmist to prove, the contrary. " The 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 265 

M Father saith unto the Son, Thj throne, O God, is for ever and 
" ever" Heb. i. 8. Ps. xlv. 6. And again, speaking of Jesus 
Christ, he says, " This Man for ever sat down on the right 
« hand of God," Heb. x. 12. Ps. ex. 1. Paul could not, there- 
fore,^ any consistency with himself, have meant, that the power 
and kingdom of Jesus were to continue only for a limited time : 
but, when he quotes the Scripture, which says, that the Son 
should sit down at the right hand of the Father, until his enemies 
were subdued, he must be understood, in agreement with the ge- 
nuine doctrine of the "Word, to mean, that, as the kingdom of Sa- 
tan will be for ever opposed to the kingdom of Jesus, or the king- 
dom of darkness for ever opposed to the kingdom of light, so the 
divine omnipotence of Jesus will for ever remain in full ex- 
ercise, and for ever keep in subjection all the powers of the 
enemy. 

"We have now only to consider the third inference, which sup- 
poses, that the Son will in the end give up the kingdom to the Fa- 
ther, that God may be all in all. From the Sacred Scriptures 
throughout, as well as from many parts of the Epistles of the dif- 
ferent Apostles, and particularly from those of Paul himself, 
whose language we are now about to explain, it appears most 
evident, that the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 
is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion both in heaven and 
on earth a dominion which shall not pass away. The Apostle 
Paul, that zealous and faithful servant of Jesus Christ, never 
could have intended to teach the contrary. If such a sentiment or 
doctrine could be fairly and incontrovertibly charged upon him, it 
would be evidence that he knew not the real character of his Di- 
vine Master, any more than Philip did, when he said unto Jesus ? 

Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufiiceth us." To whom Je- 
sus answered, " Have /"been so long time with you, and yet hast 
" thou not known me, Philip ? he that hath seen me, hath seen the 
" Father ; and* how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father P" John 
xiv. 8, 9. But, as before observed, the words of Paul must be 
understood in agreement with the doctrine of Paul, collected 
from other parts of his writings, and especially in agreement with 
the Scriptures of divine truth. 

LI 



266 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



Now Paul testifies of Jesus Christ, that " he is the saine yes- 
6i terday, and to-day, and for ever,'' Heb. xiii. 8: consequently 
if once a King, (1 Tim. vi. 15.) that he is and will be for ever a 
King ; if once entitled to the adoration of angels and men, (Heb, 
i. 6.) that he is and will be for ever entitled to it; and therefore, 
if once acknowledged to be the Supreme Head of his church* 
(Coloss. i. 18.) nay, the Supreme God of the universe, as by his 
title of 4i Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, who was ? 
il who is, and who is to come, the Almighty," (Apoc. i. 8, 11, 
17.) he most undoubtedly must be, that he will for ever and for 
ever singly and alone fill up the throne of heaven, and receive, 
as his exclusive right, the final homage of every heart and every 
tongue. The language of Paul, therefore, is to be understood in 
the following manner. 

The term Father, as we have often had occasion to observe in 
this work, is expressive of the divine love, the divine good, or 
what is tantamount thereto, the Divinity of our Lord and Saviour 
Jesus Christ : and the term Son is expressive of the divine wis- 
dom, the divine truth, or what is equivalent thereto, the Humani- 
ty of the same Lord. Now in the church, which has existed ever 
since the days of the Apostles, our Saviour Jesus Christ has 
been acknowledged, and occasionally worshipped, in no other- 
character than as the Son of God : and hence, while allowed to 
bear rule in heaven and in the church, he has been considered 
rather as an authorized Regent, than as an independent Monarch ; 
rather as the King's Son, than as the Great King Himself. How- 
ever, being entrusted for a time with the sceptre of the kingdom, 
he has acquired the name and the honour of a King, yet always 
with some degree of abatement and reserve, from respect to an- 
other Being supposed to be his superior, in whose name, and by 
whose authority, he holds the reins of government merely in trust 
for his Father. Such appears, from an impartial view of the state 
of the Christian church as to it's acknowledgment of Jesus 
Christ, to have been the kind of dominion, which he has hither- 
to obtained among it's professed members. 

But on the commencement of the New Church, called the New 
Jerusalem, which is also the grand era of the Lord's second ad- 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



267 



went, an extraordinary change takes place in everv thing that has 
reference to Christian doctrine and worship. For our Saviour 
then, agreeably to his own words. John xvi. 25 to 27, enters upon 
an entirely new character : instead of being regarded, and ad- 
dressed, as heretofore, in the capacity merely of a Son subordi- 
nate to the Father, or as a distinct Mediator between God and 
man, he is now acknowledged and worshipped as God the Father 
himself, who loves all his children, and needs no other mediation 
or intercession, than what his own Divine Humanity supplies. 
And thus the prediction of Paul likewise is verified and accom- 
plished, where he says, " Then cometh the end," (that is, the end 
of the former church, and the beginning of the New Church.) 
" when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God even the 
" Father; and when the Son also himself shall be subject unto 
" the Father, that God may be all in all," 1 Cor. xv. 24, 28 : By 
which may be understood the full completion and winding up of 
all prophecy, and of all former dispensations, in this last and 
greatest of events, the establishment of a New and True Chris- 
tian Church, which contains within itself all the perfections, the 
glories, and the blessings of every prior revelation, because it 
carries it's acknowledgment of the One Incarnate God to the 
highest possible degree of elevation* by worshipping and adoring 
him, not merely as the Sm, or as a Mediator between God and 
man, but as Jehovah Himself, the all-merciful and omnipotent 
Father of all being. 

Under this view of the subject, therefore, the Son may now be 
said to have already actually given up the kingdom to the Father, 
because now Jesus Christ is acknowledged to be alone the Fa- 
ther, and because he will henceforth reign in his church, not in 
any subordinate capacity, as the term Son or Mediator may seem 
to imply, but as the one only Sovereign Lord of heaven and 
earth, the adorable Parent of angels and men, to whom all 
things in the universe owe their birth, and by whom they are still 
from moment to moment upheld in their existence. 

But there is another sense, perfectly consistent with the above, 
though applicable to the progressive states of individual minds in 
the work of regeneration, in which it may with truth be said, that. 



2b'8 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



the S071 or divine truth will give up the kingdom of the Father or 
divine good. During all the stages of reformation and regenera- 
tion, which lead to the love and the life of goodness, mercy, and 
charity, man is chiefly under the influence, direction, government, 
and authority of divine truth, that is, in the kingdom and under 
the dominion of the Lord as the Son. But when his regeneration 
has advanced so far, as to give him an entrance into what is call- 
ed the seventh day's state, or the sabbath of rest, he then no lon- 
ger acts from the knowledge of truth in his understanding, or 
from a consideration of what is commanded, in opposition to his 
natural propensities and inclinations ; but all his thoughts, words, 
and actions, are brought under the happy influence of love, chari- 
ty, and heavenly affection. In this state he does from pleasure 
and inclination the things, which heretofore he found a difficulty 
or labour in performing ; he altogether loses sight of the cross, 
and sees before him nothing but happiness and heaven. In short, 
he acts from a higher and more interior spring of life, than he did 
before, namely, from a full-wrought, sensible conviction or per- 
ception, that Jesus Christ is the sole fountain of divine mercy 
and goodness, thus from a kind of instinctive acknowledgment of 
him as a Father, a bountiful Parent, and protecting Lord, 
rather than as a Son, a Master, a Regent, or a King. And 
in this respect likewise it may be truly said, that the end being- 
arrived, or the work of regeneration being in it r s kind and degree 
completely effected, the Son or divine truth delivers up the king- 
dom to the Father or divine goodness and love ; and all for this 
great purpose, that man may live for ever under the dominion 
and influence of universal benevolence, good-will, charity, and 
heavenly affection, regarding science, knowledge, and understand- 
ing, comparatively as mere servants ; or, in other words, that 
divine love, called the Father, may in him and around him be all 
in all. 

Having now seen what is meant by the Son giving up the king- 
dom to the Father, both in a particular and in a general sense, 
and that in neither of them does it imply any difference as to per- 
son between the Father and the Son, but only different states or 
stages of regeneration, and different kinds or degrees of acknow^ 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



269 



iedgment and worship of one and the same Incarnate God Jesus 
Christ, first in his character of Son of God, and lastly in that 
of Father, or the Most High God himself; let us never more hear 
of any such distinction between them, as would either elevate the 
Father above the Son, so as to make of him a separate and origi- 
nal God, or degrade the Son below the Father, so as to make of 
him a second-rate or subordinate Deity, much less a finite crea- 
ture of human or even angelic denomination : but let us for ever 
identify them, in our doctrine and in our worship, as One Di- 
vine Person alone, the Father being like the invisible soul, aud 
the Son like the visible body, which will never admit of separa- 
tion, because they are eternally united in One. 

From all that has been observed, then, on this subject, it ap- 
pears, that no higher dispensation can possibly be given, than that 
which now descends from heaven : for the Creator cannot mani- 
fest himself to man in any more exalted, and at the same time in 
any more tender relation, than that of Sovereign Lord, Merci- 
ful Parent, and Blessed Husband of his church, united as 
these godlike characters are in the Divine Human Person of our 
Saviour Jesus Christ. It was in reference chiefly to this great 
revelation, of which former ages of the Christian church appear 
to have been entirely ignorant, perhaps also entirely unsusceptible, 
as well as the primitive disciples whom our Lord addressed, that 
he says, " I have yet many things to say unto you ; but ye can~ 
" not bear them now" John xvi. 12. And again, " These things 
"have I spoken unto you in proverbs : the time cometh, when I 
" shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but / shall shew you 
" plainly of the Father, ", ver. 25. Never from the days of these dis- 
ciples to the present times has that direct and plain knowledge 
of the Father, here spoken of, been communicated to the church, 
otherwise than in the language of the Word, except only in and 
through the medium of the heavenly doctrines of the New Jeru- 
salem. For never has it been known by Christians, so callecf, 
any more than by Deists and Materialists, that the Father was 
any other than an invisible and universally extended Being, with- 
out any thing of the human form, but rather resembling nature in 
it's first or interior principles. Still less hare they understood 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



and believed,, that Jesus Christ is himself the Father, although 
he is expressly declared to be so both by the prophet Isaiah in the 
Old Testament, and by his own lips in the New. 

The doctrine, therefore, which proclaims the supreme and ex- 
clusive Divinity of our Lord, making him, and him alone, to be 
the Everlasting Father, as well as the Son born in time, and af- 
terwards glorified through death and resurrection, cannot but be 
hailed in the church as the full and final completion of his own 
prediction relative to himself, bringing into the church at large, 
and into the bosom of every individual member of the same, that 
high and unspeakable reward of heavenly peace and felicity, 
which is ever attendant on the acknowledgment and true wor- 
ship of Jesus Christ alone as the Supreme God over all, the 
Father, Sovereign, Husband, Friend of his people, the Lord 
of Lords, and King of Kings. 



[118.] John xx. 22, 23. "Jesus breathed on his disciples, and 
" saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit. Whose-soever 
" sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them ; and whose-soever 
4< sins ye retain, they are retained." 

It is here evident, that the Holy Spirit is the proceeding opera- 
lion, influence, or virtue, from the person of Jesus now glorified, 
by having passed through the double process of death and resur- 
rection. The idea, therefore, of it's being a distinct person 
from the Father and the Son, as one man is a distinct person 
from another, can receive no support from a passage like this ; 
but, on the contrary, is refuted as a glaring error, founded on a 
total misapprehension of those parts of divine revelation, where, 
in agreement with the oriental and most ancient style of writing, 
the personification of things, qualities, attributes, and essential 
characters, is so frequently introduced, for the sake of more or- 
derly, distinct, and impressive description. We pass on, then, 
to another very extraordinary and highly important subject of 
consideration. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 271 

Jesus, still addressing his disciples, (ten in number, one pro- 
bably being dead, Matt, xxvii. 5. Acts i. 18; and another absent, 
John xx. 24.) saith unto them, 44 Whose-soever sins ye remit, they 
44 are remitted unto them ; and whose-soever sins ye retain, they 
" are retained." It was matter not only of astonishment, but 
also of offence, to the scribes and Pharisees, when they heard Je- 
sus say to the paralytic, 44 Man, thy sins are forgiven thee for 
they immediately began to reason with themselves, saying, 44 Who 
44 is this that speaketh blasphemies ? Who can forgive sins, but 
44 God alone ?" Luke v. 20, 21. But what would they have said, 
had they heard him delegate a similar power to his disciples, and 
authorize them also to remit or retain sins, as a privilege conse- 
quent on their reception of the Holy Spirit ? They must have 
burned in their hearts with rage and resentment against him, who 
thus aspired after, and actually exercised, the divine prerogative 
of communicating to his church and people a power over all their 
evils, either to remand them to their proper source, which is to 
remit them, or to permit them still to have dominion in the human 
mind, which is to retain them, in each case according to the mea- 
sure and degree of faith directed to, or with-held from, Jesus 
their omnipotent Lord. And it is to be feared, that in the present 
day also some nominal Christians are to be found, who can no 
more endure the idea of Divinity dwelling in Humanity, than their 
predecessors the scribes and Pharisees could of old. But when 
we learn, as an incontestable fact, upon the authority of testimo- 
ny upon testimony, confirmed by miracle upon miracle, that 
Jesus did really and truly supply his disciples with a power far 
surpassing that of mere humanity, in what kind of language must 
we describe the character of so wonderful a Being ? or by what 
name must we distinguish him above the millions that bear the 
form of Man ? Can he be any other than the true God made ma- 
nifest in the flesh, and thus visiting, redeeming, and saving his 
people ? It is impossible. 

We forbear entering, further than we have done, into the spi- 
ritual sense of the passage, because the natural sense alone is suf- 
ficient to establish what we are contending for, and to many minds 



£72 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



is more satisfactory evidence^ than any which can be brought 
down even from heaven itself. 

[119.] John xx. 28, 29. "And Thomas answered and said 
^ unto him, My Lord, and my God ! Jesus saith unto him, Tho- 
" mas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed : blessed are 
" they that have not seen, and yet have believed." 

The very doctrine, which we have all along been maintaining, 
sometimes from the most explicit declarations of the evangelical 
writers, and at other times by rational deductions from the various 
facts and ciscumstances described by them, again breaks out, in 
the passage before us, with all it's power of direct and unequivo- 
cal expression. Thomas acknowledges in the plainest terms, that 
Jesus is his Lord and his God : and even Thomas, doubtful and 
unbelieving as he was for a time, now takes the lead of all tHe 
disciples in openly professing his faith in the incarnate God ; he 
now thinks of and desires to worship no other Lord, no other 
God, than Jesus ! 

" Oh! but !" says the Unitarian, "this was only a sudden ex- 
" clamation of Thomas, in consequence of a most unexpected ap- 
" pearance, which perhaps terrified, at the same time that it as- 
" tonished him : and in the state of perturbation of mind, which 
" he then experienced, it was natural for him to cry out as he did* 
^ just as any other person, on a similar occasion, might exclaim, 
" 0 my God /" or " God bless me I what an extraordinary 
« sight ! I .'" 

This is the way, in which some have been known to attempt 
the assassination of one of the plainest, purest, and grandest 
truths of divine revelation. But in the very moment of attack 
the knife is snatched out of their hand, or else it falls harmless to 
the ground. For Jesus adds, in full approbation of the faith, the 
acknowledgment, and the holy exclamation of Thomas, " Tho- 
" mas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed : blessed are 
" they that have not seen, and yet have believed." To acknow- 



UNITARIANS. TRINITARIANS, &c. 



ledge Jesus, then, as Lord and God, is plainly what is meant by 
Relieving in him, or by having a true faith: and never can this 
most essential doctrine of the church be lost sight of, without 
losing with it all title to the benefits of the Christian religion. 

This faith in the Divinity of Jesus differs, indeed, in different 
minds, with respect to quality as well as degree. Yet in no case 
can it be unattended with heavenly happiness, because with the 
true acknowledgment of the Lord, however it mav have been 
formed, there arises not only a hope of future bliss, but even a 
present sensation of interior delight, which cannot be described. 
In short, heaven itself is present in that faith, according to the 
number and quality of the divine truths, which give it birth. But 
the great blessing appears to be reserved for those, who, not hav- 
ing had the opportunity, no nor the desire of any extraordinary 
or supernatural communications, are content to exercise those ra- 
tional faculties, with which they have been favoured by a kind Pro- 
vidence, in the pursuit and examination of the holy truths of the 
Y>~ord, that they may be the better enabled to perform the several 
duties and charities of life, to which they are called : not doubt- 
ing, that, whether they continue in the natural world for a longer 
or for a shorter period, still every event is under the superintend- 
ing: hand of a merciful Parent, who causes every thing to work 
together for good to those who love him, and keep his command- 
ments. To such as these, who have an interior perception of the 
Divinity of the Lord, formed upon rational and scr iptural grounds, 
without the adventitious aid of external miracles, visions, or dis~ 
courses with the dead, and who to such faith in the understand- 
ing unite the still higher and more essential requisites of love, 
mercy, and universal benevolence in the heart and life, does our 
Lord allude, when he says to Thomas, « Blessed are they that 
* have not seen, and yet have believed.'- 3 



£ 120.] John xxi. 25. " And there are also many other things 
<* which Jesus did, the which if they should be written every one. 

Mm 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



" I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books 
&i that should be written. Amen." 



How beautifully and emphatically does this wind up the testi- 
mony of the four Evangelists, as the finishing crown to all their 
labours in raising the grand edifice of the Christian religion, the 
foundation of which is the acknowledgment of Jesus as the Son 
of God, while the last precious stone of the superstructure pro- 
claims him the infinite and eternal Father of all.' 

The works of Jesus are here described as transcending all pos- 
sible limitation, and consequently as absolutely infinite : and this 
infinity is to be understood not so much in respect to the number 
of distinct acts, externally considered, (for no doubt these niight 
come within the powers of notation,) but chiefly in respect to 
their quality, as originating interiorly in infinite love, as conduct- 
ed in their progress by infinite wisdom, and as performed in the 
external by infinite power. Let us only essay to contemplate 
these infinities of love, wisdom, and power, for a short moment : 
beyond that, would overwhelm and confound the highest powers 
of imagination. 

First, then, the divine love, which prompted our adorable Sa- 
viour to come into the world in person, to bring with him 
redemption and salvation, could be nothing less than infinite, 
because it was the souree of all life and being, and because it 
embraced within it's view all of the human race, who had ever 
received their existence from his creating hand, and all who 
should for ever after stand in relation to him as his intelligent 
offspring. Secondly, his divine wisdom, which, foreseeing every 
actual, every possible event and contingency, provided the 
means, whereby his infinite love could reach it's objects, must like- 
wise of very necessity be equally infinite. And, thirdly, his 
divine power, which was exercised and manifestly exhibited in all 
the external acts of love and wisdom united, could, like them, be 
no other than infinite also : for one infinite perfection can nevev 
be displayed except in full union with all others of like nature 
and quality with itself. Hence we may see, that every distinct 
act of Jesus, as containing within it the innumerable things of 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 275 



his love and wisdom, was in it's essence infinitely divine. How 
much more then, it' possible, must we ascribe this character to a 
whole series of benevolent, instructive, and miraculous opera- 
tions ! 

The Evangelist says, that were every one of the things, which 
Jesus did, expressly and distinctly written, he supposes that 
even " the world itself could not contain the boohs that should be 
" written." Many have wondered at the loftiness of style here 
assumed, and considering the language as highly exaggerated, and 
to the last degree hyperbolical, have set the whole passage down 
as implying no more, than that the history of the public life of 
Jesus is very briefly narrated, and that many, many more well- 
authenticated facts might have been brought forward, had the 
writer thought it necessary, or were he sufficiently furnished with 
the documents proper for the purpose. 

But this contracted view of the subject is derogatory from the 
character of perfection, to which every part of the Sacred Scrip- 
ture is entitled : nor are we at liberty to suppose, that mere fi- 
gures of speech, whether they be of the nature of metaphor, or of 
hyperbole, or of any other rhetorical embellishment, can find a 
place in Writings, every sentiment and expression of which is 
substantially holy and divine. We must therefore understand the 
Evangelist's concluding words, like all other parts of revelation, 
in a sense, which is discoverable only by the science of correspon- 
dences : for being originally penned according to the rules of that 
science, their interior contents must be unfolded by the same. 

By this science, which explains the analogy between things 
spiritual and things natural, we learn, that the term world in 
this place denotes the church ; that the term books implies the 
interior things of divine revelation, especially in reference to the 
Lord, his person, character, offices and acts of creation, redemp- 
tion, and salvation ; and, lastly, that the term contain, which in 
the natural sense evidently involves an idea of space and matter, 
denotes, when elevated and applied to the human mind, the ca- 
pacity of understanding and comprehending the things offered to 
it's notice. From this view and explanation of the terms made 
use of, it is easy to see what is spiritually understood by the 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



world itself being unable to contain the books that might be written 
concerning Jesus, and the wonderful works of his omnipotent 
hand, namely, that the church as consisting of finite intelligences 9 
could never comprehend the full extent of the divine love, never 
fathom the abyss of the divine wisdom, nor ever trace out all the 
footsteps of the divine providence and power, even were they 
made known to it by any other revelation, than that which is al- 
ready given. 

The final result, therefore, of the whole testimony here adduc- 
ed, and of all that we have previously advanced in these pages* 
is, and can be no other than, the following, viz. That our blessed 
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, whose person and character 
form the great subject of all revelation, is the One Only Infinite, 
Eternal, Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent Jehovah, 
the Father, Creator, and Preserver of all worlds, who, in his di- 
vine mercy and love to his helpless children, made his appear- 
ance among them as a Man like themselves, that, clothed in their 
own nature, he might first in the capacity of Friend and Bro- 
ther, as he condescendingly calls himself, or in that of Shep- 
herd of their souls, lead them back to that fountain of living wa- 
ter, from which they had so widely departed 5 and afterwards, 
when they had listened to his voice, and learnt his will, that he 
might, as the last proof of his redeeming love towards them, throw 
oft' the veil which he had in mercy assumed, and shew himself at 
once, in all the majesty and glory of his divine person, as their 
adorable Father, hitherto indeed unknown as such, but now and 
henceforth acknowledged and worshipped as the One Supreme 
Gob over all, blessed for ever and ever. Amen. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, Sec. 



THE APOCALYPSE. 



[PRELIMINARY.] 



ALREADY has the Evangelist John, in our work, borne am- 
ple testimony to the supreme Divinity of his Lord and Master 
Jesus Christ. But, as the angel gave him to understand, Apoc* 
x. 11, he " must yet again prophesy before many peoples, and 
" nations, and tongues, and kings ;" he must again lift up his 
voice, and declare to his brethren what he has seen, and heard, in 
the spiritual world, concerning that same Jesus, whom he knew 
and followed while in the natural world, on whose bosom he then 
reclined, and at whose sacred feet he is now constrained to fall, 
in humble and profound adoration, from a new and more power- 
ful conviction of his Divine Majesty, than he had ever experienc- 
ed before. This faithful servant and witness of the truth is not 
backward to renew his efforts in proclaiming the Word of God, 
but in the midst of great tribulation gives a testimony, which he 
is ready to seal with his blood. And so fully assured is he of the 
great importance of the revelation vouchsafed to him, and of the 
happiness resulting from a true perception of it's contents, that 
he introduces it in this heavenly manner : " Blessed is he that 
" readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep 
" those things which are written therein i for the time is at 
« hand," chap. i. 3. 



[121.] APOC. i. 6. « To him [Jesus Christ] be glory and 
u dominion for ever and ever. Amen." 



To understand the true nature of the many ascriptions, cele- 
brations, and glorifications, contained in this book, which are of- 



£78 



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fered to Jesus Christ, to the Lamb, and to the Lord God Al- 
mighty, it will be proper to keep in mind the following rule of 
interpretation, viz. That whatsoever in it's genuine sense is as- 
cribed to any being, is at the same time to be considered as be- 
longing to and derived from that being. Hence, whensoever we 
find either creation, or salvation, or blessing, or honour, or glory, 
or power, or wisdom, or riches, or dominion, ascribed to the Lord 
God Almighty, we are to understand, that such things flow 
from him, as from their true fountain and source. And again, 
whensoever we find the same things ascribed to Jesus Christ, 
and to the Lamb, we are equally obliged to acknowledge, that in 
and from him also they have their origin. But as it is impossible,- 
that there can be two separate and distinct fountains of love and 
wisdom, goodness and truth, or of life, which is the united acti- 
vity of both, we are therefore again compelled to acknowledge 
and declare, that Jesus Christ, the Lamb, and the Lord God 
Almighty, though distinguished by name, are yet inseparably 
and indivisible one and the same Divine Being, both as to essence,, 
and as to form or person. 

In the passage above recited Jesus is considered as worthy to 
receive, and therefore to him are ascribed, glory and dominion 
for ever and ever. By glory is meant divine majesty, which has 
peculiar reference to his divine wisdom or divine truth : and by 
dominion is meant divine omnipotence, which has more immediate 
respect to his divine love or divine good. Indeed the Greek 
word, which is here rendered dominion, ought rather to have 
been translated power, might, or strength, and in chap. v. IS, is 
expressed by the first of these terms : the same word also, in com- 
bination with another, is in chap. xvi. 7, chap. xix. 6, and else- 
where, rendered almighty, omnipotent. Now by the rule already 
laid down, as glory and dominion, divine majesty and divine om- 
nipotence, divine wisdom and divine power, are expressly as- 
cribed to Jesus Christ, it follows, that these divine attributes, 
together with all the infinite perfections involved or implied in 
them, do actually belong to him alone, and flow forth from him in 
divine emanation and unceasing activity towards his finite crea- 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



279 



lures, that they may become as blessed and happy as their re- 
spective capacities of enjoyment will permit. 

In other parts of this book of divine revelation we also find si- 
milar ascriptions of glory and dominion, honour end power, to 
the Lord God Almighty, as in chap, iv. 11, " Thou art wor- 
" thy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power: for 
" thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and 
" were created. 5 ' And in chap. vii. 12, " Blessing, and glory, 
" and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and 
" might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Ainen." All these 
do therefore belong to the Lord God Almighty, and are com- 
municated by him to man, in the degree and proportion of his in- 
terior receptivity. But as the same things are also ascribed to 
Jesus Christ, and to the Lamb, it again follows, as already de- 
monstrated, that the Lord God Almighty, or the Essential Di- 
vinity, and Jesus Christ the Lamb, or the Divine Humanity, 
are only one and the same omnipotent and all-glorious Je- 
hovah. 



£122.] Apoc. i. 10 to 18. " I was in the spirit on the Lord's 
" day, and heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet, 
" saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last. And 
S< I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being 
«* turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks : and in the mid^t 
" of the seven candlesticks, one like unto the Son of - Max. 
" clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the 

paps w r ith a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white 
" like wool, as white as snow ; and his eyes were as a flame of 
" fire : and his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a 
" furnace ; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he 
" had in his right hand seven stars : and out of his mouth went a 
a sharp two-edged sword : and his countenance was as the s:in 
" shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet 
6i as dead: and he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto nite. 
44 Fear not : I am the First and the Last: I am he. that lireth. 



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" and was dead; and behold, lam alive for evermore, Amen; 
" and have the keys of hell and of death." 

The grandeur and magnificence of this description can never 
be exceeded : and yet it is a description of the appearance of the 
Son of Man, that is, of Jesus, in the midst of seven golden 
candlesticks, which were representative of his church universal. 
He is described as to his clothing, his head and his hairs, his eyes, 
his mouth, his voice, his hand, his feet, and the general appearance 
of his divine form, but especially his countenance, which equalled 
the splendor of the sun, when shining in all his strength. How 
similar to the description, given by Daniel, of the Ancient of 
Days ! chap. vii. 9, 10 ; of whom it is written, " that his garment 
f* was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool 5 
5i that his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burn- 
" ing fire ; that a fiery stream issued and came forth from before 
66 him ; that thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten 
"thousand times ten thousand stood before him !" 

But not only does the similarity hold good in the general ap- 
pearance of the form or person of the Son of Man and of the 
Ancient of Days 5 but the title, character, and honour, belong- 
ing to this latter, are openly claimed by the former, or Son of 
Man. " I am," says he, " Alpha and Omega, the First and the 
" Last ;" and in ver. 8 he proclaims himself to be " the beginning 
" and the ending, who is, and who was, and who is to come, 
" the Almighty" And lest for a single moment a single doubt 
should be entertained as to the identity of the speaker, he further 
declares, " I am he that liveth, and was dead ; and behold, I am 
" alive for evermore, Amen :" from which plain and intelligible 
language no reader can be at a loss to know who is the Son of 
Man, that thus announces himself, but must instantly perceive, 
that it is that very same Jesus, who was denied, rejected, and 
thus slain by his enemies the Jews, and who also rose again from 
the dead, and ascended into heaven. 

Another remarkable feature in the preceding description of the 
interview between John and his Divine Master, so unlike that to 
which he had been accustomed, is the circumstances of his falling 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



281 



down at his feet as dead, the moment he beheld him in such unex- 
pected, such inconceivable glory. Instead of leaning upon his 
breast, as he had formerly done in the natural world, being now 
in spiritual vision, and thus capable of beholding, for a mo- 
ment, the glory of his Divine Humanity, he first with the eye 
of his spirit attempts to survey the person of his Lord ; but being 
overpowered with a sense of the sacred presence, and of his 
own unworthiness, he humbles himself in the dust before Him, 
whom for the first time perhaps he perceives to be his God, as well 
as his Lord. Then stretching out his right hand, and laying it 
upon him, Jesus in his own proper character administers that 
comfort, and supplies that strength, which no other being either 
in heaven or on earth is capable of giving : 44 Fear not" says he, 
44 I am the First and the Last." 

How well does this agree with his own words, as Jehovah, 
spoken by his prophet Isaiah ages before ! 44 Fear thou not, for I 
" am with thee : be not dismayed, for J am thy God : I will 
44 strengthen thee, yea, I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee 
«" with the right hand of my righteousness. Fear not, thou worm 
"Jacob, and ye men of Israel : I will help thee, saith Jehovah, 
44 and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:" Isa. xli. 10, 14. 
How well again with his own words to Gideon in a still more re- 
mote age, who, perceiving that the angel of Jehovah had visited 
Mm, exclaimed in great fear and apprehension, 44 Mas! 0 Lord 
44 Jehovih ! for I have seen the angel of Jehovah face to face! 

And Jehovah said unto him, Feace be unto thee, fear not,tholi 
66 shalt not die," Judg. vi. 22, 23. 

The same tendency to fall down upon the ground, and to hide 
the face as it were in dust and ashes, which was manifested by 
John when he saw the Son of Man in his glory, is also apparent 
in the conduct of all those, who have ever been witnesses of any 
particular approach of the divine presence ; as of Moses, when 
he first saw the angel of Jehovah in the burning bush ; for 44 he 
44 hid his face, and was afraid to look upon God," Exod. iii. 6 : — 
of Joshua, when the Captain of the host of Jehovah presented 
himself before him ; for 44 he fell on his face to the earth, and did 
" worship," Josh. v, 14 : — of Manoah and his wife,, who, when 

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A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



they saw the angel of Jehovah ascend in the flame from off the 
altar, "fell on their faces to the ground," Judg. xiii. 20 : — of Eze- 
kiel, who, when he saw " above the firmament a throne, and upon 
"the throne the appearance of a Man, with fire and brightness 
" round about him, fell upon his face, and heard a voice of one that 
" spake," Ezek. i. 26 to 28 : and again the second time, when he 
Saw "the glory of Jehovah stand before him in the plain, as he 
"had before seen it by the river of Chebar, he fell on his face," 
chap, iii, 23 : — of Daniel, who, when he saw " a certain Man 
" clothed in linen, whose face was as the appearance of lightning, 
" his eyes as lamps of fire, his arms and his feet like in colour to 
" polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a 
" multitude," was so deeply affected with this great vision, that 
he says of himself, " There remained no strength in me ; for my 
" comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no 
" strength, Yet heard I the voice of his words : and when I 
" heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my 
"face ; and my face toward the ground. And behold, an hand 
" touched me, and set me up. And when I stood trembling, he 
" said unto me, Fear not, Daniel.— Then there came again and 
" touched me One like the appearance of a Man : and he strength- 
" ened me, and said, O man greatly beloved, fear not, peace be un* 
" to thee, be strong, yea, be strong,^ Dan. x. 5 to 12, 18, 19 :— - 
and lastly of Zacharias, who, while he was " performing the 
" priest's office, burning incense in the temple of the Lord, saw 
" an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of 
" incense ; whereupon he was troubled, and fear fell upon him, 
" But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias ; for thy pray- 
" er is heard," Luke i. 8 to IS. 

In all these cases the presence of Jehovah in an angel, when, 
brought to the perception of man, had the effect of inducing upon 
him fear and apprehension of the immediate extinction of his own 
proper life : for the divine life, being in itself like a. fire, so much 
more intense than any finite spark derived from it, as to be ca- 
pable of totally eclipsing and even extinguishing it, can only be 
endured when new strength is communicated for the purpose, and 
when at the same time a sufficient veil or covering is merciful U" 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 283 



thrown over the glory, by tempering and qualifying it in a way of 
accommodation suited to the exigency of those, before whom it is 
presented. Precisely in the same condition with the prophets 
and servants of Jehovah above named, when He appeared to 
them in an angelic form, was the apostle John, when Jesus ap- 
peared to him in his Glorified Humanity. The former either 
hid their faces, or fell on their faces, being afraid to look upon 
God: the latter, on seeing Jesus, instantly fell at his feet as 
dead.'!! 

So striking is the similarity in circumstance, in glory, and in 
effect ; so identified also are the words of consolation, of mercy, 
of protection and support, proceeding from the mouth of Jehovah,. 
and from the lips of Jesus, that it is surely next to an impossibili= 
ty for any man, having the unbiassed use of his reason, not to dis- 
cern, in all these things, the great end and design of the inspir- 
ed writers, whose collected and united testimony so fully and so 
plainly demonstrates the equal Divinity of Jesus and of Jehovah, 
and consequently their entire and perfect union, as one ever- 
glorious and most adorable God. 



[123.] Apoc. ii. 7. "To him that overcometh will I give to 
« ezt of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of 
« God." 



The tree of life in the midst of the paradise of God, is evident- 
ly a phrase used to denote eternal life and happiness in heaven, 
after the death of the body. But who is the giver of such life 
and happiness to the human race ? Surely none but the God of 
the human race, the Creator and Author of their being. Nor can 
it enter into the head, much less into the heart of any one to con- 
ceive it possible, that any other than he, who is the true God, and 
eternal life himself, can bestow this rich and precious boon of 
immortality. David well knew the great source of all happiness ; 
for he saith of Jehovah, " In his favour is life" Ps. xxx. 5. And 
again, addressing himself to the same God, he ailds ; « With thee 



2$4 A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 

66 is the fountain of life" Ps. xxxvi. 9. " Thou wilt shew me the 
" path of life : in thy presence is fulness of joy, at thy right hand 
"there are pleasures for evermore" Ps. xvi. 11. 

But what is the language of Jesus to his disciples, who, while 
in his instructions he repeatedly called their attention to Him- 
self alone, was yet perfectly aware of all that is written in the 
Old Testament concerning Jehovah ? Does he discover the least 
reluctance, the least unwillingness to hold himself up to their ad- 
miration and supreme regard, even though he must have known, 
that the high character, which lie gave himself, was liable to ex- 
amination, yea, and to comparison with that which Jehovah, the 
jealous Jehovah, constantly assumes ? Did he not well know, 
that it would be presumption in the extreme, for any mere man, 
or for any mere angel, or for any being of still higher order, if 
such being can possibly be imagined, below the dignity of the One 
Supreme God, to claim to himself divine titles, divine charac- 
ters, divine attributes, divine powers, and with them divine wor- 
ship itself? or when any of these were not expressly claimed by 
him, and yet offered or ascribed to him, still to approve, encour- 
age, and reward the persons, who so honoured and reverenced 
him, as they could not have honoured and reverenced the Divine 
Being, whom he calls his Father ? Jesus knew all this, and in- 
finitely more ; and yet he says, " Come unto me, all ye that la- 
^bour, and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest," Matt. xL 
$8. " I am the bread of life : he that cometh to me, shall never 
" hunger ; and he that believeth on me, shall never thirst," John 
vi. 35. " If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death" viii. 
51. "Before Abraham was, I am" ver. 58. " J am the good 
" Shepherd : and other sheep I have, which are not of this fold : 
" them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice ; and there 
" shall be one fold, and one Shepherd. And I give unto them 
" eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck 
" them out of my hand," John x. 11, 14, 16, 28. And lastly, in 
the words which gave rise to these reflections, " To him that over- 
" cometh will I give to eat of the tree of life\ which is in the midst 
£ of the paradise of God" 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 2S5 

From all these considerations what is the fair inference, which 
ought to be deduced, and which indeed cannot but be deduced, in 
regard to the divine person and intrinsic character of Jesus ? 
What, but that he was, still is, and for ever will be, the great 
Jehovah Himself, whose name, as the unmanifested Deity, he 
had the exclusive right to drop at his pleasure, and in it's stead 
to introduce his own new name, as the same Lord, the same God, 
now manifested, now incarnate, now risen into glory, and pre- 
senting to his creatures, as the sole Object worthy of their ever- 
lasting love, Himself the First, Himself the Last, Himself 
the Ml in Mil 



[124.] Apoc ii. 10. " Be thou faithful unto death, and I wilt 
" give thee a crown of life." 

Here again Jesus declares himself to be the giver, and conse- 
quently the author of eternal happiness in another world, to such 
as remain faithful to the end of life in the present world. Line 
upon line, precept upon precept, and declaration upon declara- 
tion, both with respect to the proper Object of worship, and the 
constant practice of virtue, are not with-held from man, but in a 
variety of forms pressed upon his notice, in order that he may be 
left without excuse, if he neglect his duty in either particular. 
The man, who refuses to acknowledge the sole Divinity of Jesus 
Christ, will yet, on the day of reckoning, be glad to receive the 
crown of life from some divine hand or other. But to whom will 
he apply for it, if not to him, " who has the words of eternal 
16 life?" John vi. 68. If he pass by the Son, and seek it of the 
Father immediately, will this be considered as honouring the Son? 
Rather, will it not be deemed as undervaluing, if not rejecting 
him? And yet it is written, " He that honoureth not the Son, 
" honoureth not the Father who sent him," John v. 23. 

But neither will the Father suffer himself to be approached by 
any, who seek him not in the person of Jesus ; for having " com- 
66 mitted all judgment unto the Son" John v. 22; nay, having 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



« given all things into his hand" John iii. 55 \ and himself with 
all his divinity " dwelling in the Son" as the soul of a man 
dwells in his body, John xiv. 10, 11. Coloss. ii. 9, he has left 
open for the creature only one way, one door of access to his 
presence : and whosoever refuses to walk in that icay, and to 
enter in by that door, but presumptuously endeavours to " climb 
" up some other way" John x. 1, must be for ever excluded from 
all participation in the gift of eternal life, because in such case he 
turns his back upon him, who is both the author and the giver of 
it, John x. 28. 



[125. J Apoe. ii. IT. 4i To him that overcometh will I give to 
4i eat of the hidden manna" 

The external manna, which was rained down upon the chil- 
dren of Israel in the wilderness, as is well known, was represen- 
tative of that internal, spiritual food, which is alone capable of 
nourishing the soul to eternal life. By reason of this significa- 
tion it is also called " angels 9 food," Ps. lxxviii. 25. Now it will 
scarcely be denied by any one, that such food must be communi- 
cated both to angels and to the spirits of men, by him who origi- 
nally created them : because no other can be supposed competent 
to support them, or wiiat is the same thing, to continue them in a 
happy existence : for he, who first gave life, can alone preserve it. 
But Jesus expressly says, that he is the giver of that spiritual 
food, which is here called the hidden manna : nay, that he is him- 
self that manna, or bread of life, which came down from heaven, 
for the purpose of nourishing and blessing his people. (John vi. 
48 to 51.) It therefore follows, that, as he is the supporter and 
preserver of the interior life of man, he must also have been the 
original giver of the same. And hence again results the great 
truth so particularly evident in the last book of revelation, that 
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is himself the One Supreme 
God, the fountain of all life and being. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 287 



[126.] Apoc. ii. 21 to 23. " I gave her [the woman Jezebel" 
" space to repent of her fornication, and she repented not. Be- 
" hold, I will cast her into a bed, and them, that commit adultery 
" with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their 
" deeds. And I will kill her children with death ; and all the 
" churches shall know, that J am he who searcheth the reins and 
" hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to 
" your works." 

What consummate arrogance, not to say blasphemy, must it be 
for any mere man, as the Socinian Unitarians suppose Jesus to 
have been, to assume such a lofty tone and character, as this ad- 
dress to the angel of the church in Thyatira holds out ! Does a 
mere man give the perverted church, represented by the woman 
Jezebel, space to repent ? Will a mere man cast her into a bed 
of tribulation for her evil deeds ? And will such an one kill her 
children with death ? But above all, can it be said with any de- 
gree of truth, or with the shadow or appearance of any thing re- 
sembling propriety, that a mere man is the searcher and trier of 
the reins and hearts of his fellow-creatures, that is, the Discerner 
and Judge of the most interior thoughts, intentions, motives, and 
affections of the whole human race, together with all their sour- 
ces, progressions, gradations, and tendencies to eternity ; and 
this whether considered singly and separately in each individual, 
or in combination with, and relation to, all others of similar and 
dissimilar qualities ; whether and how far voluntary or involun- 
tary, self-acquired or hereditary, momentary or constant, inci- 
pient or inveterate ; in one word, remissible or irremissible ? 
And, lastly, is it conceivable, that this same mere man should 
have it in his power to give unto every one the reward that is due 
to his works, whether they have been evil, or whether they have 
been good ? 

The man, who believes all this, has no warft of faith : on the 
contrary, he must have a super-abundance of it, such as it is! 
The man, who believes all this, may boast of his own superior 
understanding : but no one, after this, will give him credit for s 
grain of common sense. In fine, the man ? who believes all this- 



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may imagine, that the doctrine of Unitarianism will still spread 
in the world, and gain innumerable proselytes, by virtue ,of the 
rationality of it's views, the sublimity of it's conceptions, and the 
justness of it's conclusions: but, if we judge aright, it has alrea- 
dy seen it's brightest day, and, meteor-like, after astonishing and 
infatuating some of it's beholders, is fast verging towards the 
western horizon, there to be extinguished and forgotten ; while 
the heavenly beams of divine truth, now descending from on high, 
announce to a joyful and delighted world, that the Sun of Righ- 
teousness is already risen in the east. 

Away then with the follies and delusions of a doctrine founded 
in error, and supported by a kind of reasoning, which can be no 
other than self -derived, earth-horn, and grovelling in the dust) 
because it opposes that superior and purer light, the light of re- 
velation, which comes down from above, and which enlightens the 
understanding of all, who acknowledge the divinity of the Lord, 
and the sanctity of his Word. Let us open our eyes to this great 
light, and then we shall clearly see, that the wisdom, justice, and 
power, which are ascribed to Jesus, belong to him neither as a 
mere man, nor as a mere angel, but as the Supreme God, to 
whom all hearts and all understandings are continually open, and 
from whose notice and just judgment there is no escape. 

The character, which the great Jehovah gives of himself, as 
the searcher of the heart, the trier of the reins, and the rewarder 
of every man according to his works, will readily be acknowledg- 
ed by all, who have ever read his Word ; it being too plainly set 
forth in the Sacred Pages to admit of a doubt. Thus in the pro- 
phet it is written, " I Jehovah search the heart, I try the reins, 
44 even to give every man according to his ways, and according 
44 to the fruit of his doings," Jer. xvii. 10; chap. xx. 12. The 
Psalmist also says, 44 The righteous God trieth the hearts and 
44 reins," Ps. vii. 9. Ps. xxvi. 2 : not to mention a multitude of 
other passages to the same effect in almost every book of the Old 
Testament. But wherein does this character of the righteous 
God, the Judge of all the earth, differ from that, which Jesus in 
like manner, and with the same degree of authority, gives of him- 
self in the book of Revelation ? In every respect do they agree : 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



2-89 



and therefore Jesus, assuming the loftiest tone of wisdom and 
judgment united, that language can express, and thus identifying 
himself with the great Jehovah, hesitates not to say, " I am he 
" that searcheth the reins and the hearts; and I will give unto 
" every one of you according to your ivorks:" which great truth, 
he further promises, shall in due time be made known to " all the 
6i churches.' 5 



[127.] Apoc. v. 12 to 14. " Worthy is the Lamb, that was 
" slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength* 
" and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature 
" which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and 
Ai . such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I, saying, 
" Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that 
" sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. 
" And the four beasts said, Jlmen. And the four and twenty el* 
" ders fell down, and worshipped Him that liveth for ever and 

ever." 



It is universally admitted, that by the Lamb is meant our Lord 
and Saviour Jesus Christ, especially as to his Humanity. But 
it is not so generally known, that by Him that sitteth upon the 
throne, or the Lord God Almighty, is meant the same Jesus 
in respect to his Divinity, which is like a soul animating or giv- 
ing life to it's body. Yet this plain and intelligible view of the 
subject is quite sufficient to remove all that difficulty, which em- 
barrasses the minds of some, on reading, that all the angels round 
about the throne, and every creature both in heaven and on earth, 
united in one general song of praise and glorification, apparently 
to two distinct Objects of their gratitude and adoration, viz. the 
Lord God Almighty and the Lamb ; although it is so con- 
stantly declared throughout the Holy Scriptures, that no other 
worship can be accepted, than such as is directed to One Divine' 
Object alone. 

Oo 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



The Lamb is said to have been slain, not merely because the 
Humanity of the Lord was crucified by the Jews, which is the 
lowest or most external sense of the expression, but chiefly be- 
cause his Divinity was denied by them, as it is also by many 
others in the present day. For as the Divinity is the very life 
and soul of the Humanity, so to deny that the Humanity of the 
Lord is Divine, is the same thing as to separate the soul from the 
body, to deprive this latter of it's life, and thus to slay or crucify 
the Lord as it were a second time. And yet, howsoever this may 
be the case with all those, who regard him only as a mere man, 
he still lives in his church, that is, in the hearts of all who truly 
serve and acknowledge him. For though as the Messiah, the 
Christ, or the Holy One anointed with the pure oil of Divinity, 
he has been " cut off" both by Jews and by nominal Christians, yet 
has it not been "for himself," Dan. ix. 26; nor is it to be con- 
sidered as in the least affecting himself, but only those, who have? 
thus rejected and denied him. " I am he that liveth, and was 
54 dead ; and behold, (says he,) I am alive for evermore, Amen," 
Apoc. i. 18. 

Seeing then that by the Lamb is meant the Divine Humanity 
of the Lord, and by slaying him a denial of his Divinity ; and 
seeing further that the same Lamb, singly, is accounted worthy 
to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and ho- 
nour, and glory, and blessing; and again that to him, in conjunc- 
tion with the Lord God Almighty, who sittethupon the throne, 
are ascribed by all the angels of heaven, and by all the good spirits 
under heaven, blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, which, 
as we have already observed, (art. 121,) is an acknowledgment that 
such things belong to, and are derived from, in the first case the 
Lamb, and in the second case the Lord God Almighty jointly 
with the Lamb ; it follows as an everlasting truth, that by both 
the one and the other is meant only one and the same ever-bless- 
ed God, who as to his Essential Divinity, is called the Lord 
God Almighty, and as to his Divine Humanity is called the 
Lamb. And therefore, in exact agreement with this most heaven- 
ly and divine doctrine, and in full confirmation of the same, it is 
added, that « the four beasts said, £meiu" 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 291 



Now by these four beasts, animals, or living things, as the term 
in the original might very properly be rendered, is meant the 
Word, or Sacred Scripture, which is said to be living, because in 
it is contained, and from it is derived, all the spiritual life both of 
angels and men. Hence the Word, or the divine truth, is even 
identified with the Lord himself, from whom it proceeds, John i. 
1 ; and hence also the four beasts, or living things,* which signi- 
fy the Word, are in Apoc. iv. 6, said to be in the midst of the 
throne, in like manner as the Lord, who is called a Lamb, is re- 
presented to be, in chap. v. 6, and chap. vii. 17. When there- 
fore it is declared, as above, that the four beasts said Amen to the 
divine honours ascribed both to Him that sat upon the throne, and 
to the Lamb, we are clearly to understand, that it is the uniform, 
constant, and genuine doctrine of the Sacred Scripture, that all 
worship ought to be directed to our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
Christ, exclusively of every other being in heaven or on earth, 
he alone being the Lord God Almighty and also the Lamb in 
One Glorified or Divine Person. No wonder, then, that the four 
and twenty elders, as the heads or representatives of all in hea- 
ven and in the church universal, viewing the person of Jesus 
upon the throne of heaven, and knowing that in him alone is 
contained the whole of divinity, by whatever name or names it 
can possibly be expressed, fell down at his feet, and " worshipped 
u Him that liveth for ever and ever." 

* These four living things are the same as the cherubs seen by Ezekiel s 
chap. i. and x. the faces of which resembled a lion, a calf, a man, and an eagle. 
By the lion is meant the divine truth of the Word as to it's poiver .- by the 
calf, the same as to it's affection, or the desire of knowing it, which is excit- 
ed in the natural mind ; for every beast mentioned in the Word is represen- 
tative of some human affection or other : by the man is signified the same 
divine truth as to -wisdom, man alone of all creatures being born capable of 
receiving wisdom from the Lord : and by the eagle is meant the same again 
as to knowledge, acuteness of intellectual sight or perception, and intelligence. 
There is no more occasion to be surprized, that the Word or Sacred Scrip- 
ture should be described by these appearances, than that the Lord himself, 
who also is the Word, should be compared to a Lion and a Lamb, or the 
members ®f his church to a flock of sheep. 



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[128.] Apoc. vi. 16, 17. " And they said to the mountains and 
« rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth 
66 on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great 
" day of his wrath is come ; and who shall be able to stand ? 

We have already seen in what manner the angels of heaven 
celebrate and magnify the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb, 
as One Divine Object worthy of all praise and adoration. We 
now see how the wicked and impious are affected by the presence 
of the same Divine Being on the occasion of the last judgment, 
and with what apprehension they are filled, lest the wrath of the 
Lamb, no less than the indignation of Him that sitteth on the 
throne, should fall upon their guilty heads. From both cases the 
truth of our doctrine is elicited, and by both it is confirmed ; from 
the former, by the equal homage, which is paid by angels to Go» 
and the Lamb ; and from the latter, by the equal dread of both, 
which is manifested by the wicked. 

The last judgment is frequently spoken of in the Scriptures as 
the great and dreadful day of Jehovah, the day of his wrath, 
fierce anger, and indignation : and the prophet Malachi says, 
" Who may abide the day of his coming ? and who shall stand 
"when he appear eth?" chap. iii. 2. Similar words, it is remark- 
able, are here used in reference to the Lamb : " The great day of 
" his wrath is come ; and who shall be able to stand ?" What ! is 
the great day of the wrath of a mere man come ? ! And is it a 
question, Who shall be able to stand ? who shall be found capa- 
ble of enduring it ? ! ! The subject is too solemn to permit us 

to proceed with questions of this tendency. Let the Unitarian 
well consider within himself what might be said on such an occa- 
sion; and what a host of arguments, grounded on this single pas- 
sage, might be brought to bear upon him, and, if well directed, to 
dash his system into a thousand pieces. 

Truth must prevail at last : the further we advance, the bright- 
er it appears, and the stronger it grows. This last book of reve- 
lation in a peculiar manner winds up it's spring ; and enables it, 
lion-like, without the trouble of exertion, to look it's enemy to 
death.' Of itself it is a Seal covering and closing the months of 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



293 



all gainsayers, and at the same time testifying, corroborating, and 
eternalizing that most sublime, that most heavenly of all doc- 
trines, the sole, supreme, and exclusive Divinity of our blessed 
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 

We have been speaking of judgment upon deceased men in the 
spiritual world. Let us now consider the probable effects of it 
upon living men in the natural world, especially upon those called 
Unitarians and Trinitarians. The same divine truth, which ter- 
rifies and torments in the one case, and causes the guilty to " cry 
66 out for the mountains and rocks to fall upon them, and hide 
" them from the face of him that sitteth upon the throne, and from 
" the wrath of the Lamb," already begins to agitate, distress, and 
exasperate those, who set themselves in opposition to the heaven- 
ly doctrines of the New Jerusalem. They in their turn, in all 
probability, will likewise call upon rocks and mountains to hide 
them from the presence of the Lord God Almighty and the 
Lamb ; that is to say, they will feel within themselves an aver- 
sion to the newly -revealed doctrine of the Divine Humanity of 
our Lord, because they cannot endure the sight of that unspeak- 
able glory which surrounds him ; they will betake themselves 
to the grossest falses of doctrine, (spiritual rocks,) grounded in 
the mere appearances of truth in the letter of the Word ; and 
perhaps also they will have recourse to some unworthy prejudi- 
ces, or disorderly affections, (spiritual mountains,) which bespeak 
either a corrupt or a deluded mind, in order to shelter and defend 
them from the irresistible power of that divine truth, which is now 
breaking up all the old systems of theology, laying bare their na- 
kedness and deformity, and in their stead introducing the ever- 
lasting gospel of God manifested in the flesh, or what is the same 
thing, God appearing amongst his creatures in a divinely -human 
form. 

But we trust, and are not without great hopes, that many, both 
among Unitarians and Trinitarians, before it be too late to change 
their course, will have the wisdom to re-consider the doctrines, 
which they have perhaps innocently imbibed from their infancy, 
or which from their connections in life they may have been incau- 
tiously led to adopt. And having well examined the foundation. 



294 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



upon which they stand, and compared it with the Word of divine 
truth, under the light, which is now afforded them from heaven, 
and which gives a more consistent view of it's genuine contents, 
than any other doctrine heretofore made public in the world ; we 
doubt not, but the sincere, the unprejudiced, and the truly ration- 
al among them, will sooner or later be providentially led to see 
and acknowledge, that to our Lord and Saviour Jesus C hrist, even 
with respect to his Humanity, belongs, not a partial, not a divid- 
ed or apportioned Divinity, (for this is utterly unworthy of him, 
and falls infinitely short of his right and title,) but the whole, sole, 
and exclusive Divinity, that is, a Divinity which puts an adaman- 
tine, an eternal bar against every other claimant, that would share 
or participate with him in it. 

As an humble medium of contributing towards the production 
of such an effect, as the conviction above alluded to, in the mind 
of either Trinitarian or Unitarian, this work is chiefly intended : 
and if such a desirable result shall, in consequence of our feeble 
endeavours, actually take place, it will become to us, in common 
with every other member of the true Christian church, the occa- 
sion of a real accession of joy and delight; because every new 
comer into the kingdom of our Lord, every new tongue that con- 
fesses, every new heart that adores him, forms and brings with 
him an additional ground for the reception of the divine influx 
into the common body, which being communicated from the whole 
to each individual, and again from each individual. to the whole, 
perpetually increases and exalts as well the particular as the com- 
mon good and happiness .of all. 

But that the reader may not for a moment suppose, that in any 
thing we have said here, or in any other part of this work, we claim 
to ourselves the merit of having discovered any part of the doc- 
trine, which we so strongly recommend, we again repeat what in 
substance we have already observed in the latter part of article 
38, and in the note appended to it, that we have received it en- 
tirely as a new revelation from heaven: and we acknowledge with 
thankfulness, that the truths, which it exhibits, have by their splen- 
dor enlightened our understanding ; while we trust, that by their 
tendency and utility they have also gained a place in our heart. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. £95 



[129.] Apoc. vii. 9 to 12. " After this I beheld, and lo, a great 
multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kin- 
*« dreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and be- 
" fore the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their 
« hands ; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our 
" God who sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all 
" the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders, 
" and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces. 
" and worshipped God, saying, Amen : blessing, and glory, and 
wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, 
u be unto our God for ever and ever, Amen." 



Here again a universal glorification is described, as arising from 
the great mass of those who are saved, and who are seen standing 
before the throne, and before the Lamb. To Him, in conjunc- 
tion with God who sitteth upon the throne, they all with one heart 
and one voice ascribe their salvation : and that no one might ima- 
gine, from the terms used in ver. 10, that they were offering in- 
cense to more Objects than one, it is added in ver. 11, that they 
all fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, as- 
cribing to him, in ver. 12, the very same things, with the varia- 
tion of only a word, which they had previously ascribed to the 
Lamb singly, in chap. v. 12. Can any man, having the use of his 
faculties, be at a loss to comprehend how all this is to be under- 
stood ? Is it not a plain, simple, and incontrovertible truth, that 
by Him who sat upon the throne, and the Lamb, who are describ- 
ed as equally contributing to man's salvation, and equally sharing 
the honour of it, is meant no other than the One all -merciful and 
omnipotent God with respect to his divine essence and his divine 
form, which are both united in his Divine Humanity ? 



[130.] Apoc. vii. 15 to 17. " And He that sitteth on the throne 
" shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither 
" thirst any more, neither shall the sun light on them, nor any 
" heat. For the Lamb, who is in the midst of the. throne, shall 



296 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



« feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters :_ 
" and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." 

The same effects are indiscriminately ascribed to Him that sit- 
teth on the throne, and to the Lamb who is in the midst of the 
throne. Both are said to dwell among men, Zech. ii. 10, 11 ; 
John i. 14; chap. xiv. 23 : and both, to feed, protect, and lead 
them in the way of life. If we compare Isa. xlix. 10, with the 
passage under consideration, it will plainly appear, that the same 
things are ascribed to the Lamb, that is, to Jesus, which are as- 
cribed to the ever-living Jehovah. They must, therefore, be one 
and the same Divine Being under different names ; or else the 
Scriptures direct us for help and salvation to two right-hands of 
omnipotence, two fountains of life, two sources of everlasting hap- 
piness. But this cannot be contemplated, no not for a moment, 
by any who acknowledge the perfection and divinity of the Sa- 
cred Volume. 

The only conclusion, then, which we are authorized to draw, 
from a view of the whole subject, consistently with revelation 
and sound reason, is that which we have already drawn, and 
which we again repeat, viz. That our blessed Saviour Jesus 
Christ is himself the Lord God Almighty, as well as the 
Lamb, to whom belong all the divine attributes, and consequent- 
ly all the divine praise and adoration. 



[131.] Apoc. xi. 15. " And the seventh angel sounded, and 
" there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of 
"this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his 
" Christ ; and He shall reign for ever and ever." 

We have more than once had occasion to observe, that by the 
term Lord, as used in the New Testament, is understood the 
same as by the term Jehovah in the Old Testament. In the 
Apocalypse or book of Revelation, particularly, the term Lord 
denotes the essential divinity^ called also the Father ; while by 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



297 



the term Christ is meant the Divine Humanity, called also the 
Son. Thus whether we say Jehovah and Jesus, the Father 
and the Son, or the Lord andhis Christ, still only one and the 
same Lord God Almighty is understood, though one name has 
more immediate reference to the invisible Essence or Divinity, 
and the other to the visible Form or Humanity. Taking the pas- 
sage, then, in this plain and intelligible point of view, how easy is 
it to comprehend what is meant by " the kingdoms of this world 
" becoming the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ," and by 
64 his reigning for ever and ever !" namely, that now, since the 
commencement of the New Jerusalem, and henceforth in all fu- 
ture generations, the church on earth, as well as the church in the 
spiritual world, acknowledges, and will acknowledge, no other 
Sovereign, no other King and Ruler, no other Object of worship^ 
than the One Supreme God and Saviour Jesus Christ in his Di- 
vine Humanity. And therefore, looking at him alone with the 
eyes of our understanding, and worshipping him alone with the af- 
fections of our heart, we join the four and twenty elders in their 
angelic glorification, ver. 17, saying, " We give thee thanks, O 
« Lord God Almighty, who art, and wast, and art to come ; 
"because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast 
,« reigned." 

But for a moment let us turn our faces about, to see what is 

become of our Unitarian and Trinitarian opponents. They are 

each engaged in making out their respective views of the subject ut- 
tered by the great voices in heaven, and in reconciling the passage 
with the systems, which they have previously adopted. We will 
first listen to the Unitarian, who reads and remarks as follows. 

" The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our 
"Lord," that is, of the Supreme God, whom no man ever hath 

* seen, or ever can see, except in his works of creation. But 

" by the bye, I do not see with what propriety it can be said, that 
M they are become the kingdoms of the Supreme God, as if he had 
" only just now acquired the dominion over them ; when yet it 
" must be plain to every rational mind, that the kingdoms of this 
« world, and of all other worlds in existence, must always have 
« been under his sole dominion from the first day of their creation 



298 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



44 Well ; but we must proceed. Stop ! let us begin again. 

" 44 The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of 

44 our Lord," aye, of the Supreme God, as before observed, 

44 and of " Really I think there is no occasion to read any 

"further: I am quite satisfied, that the Supreme God governs 
44 the universe by his nod, that nothing can withstand his power, 
44 and that every thing is exactly as it should be. 44 For who hath 
44 resisted his will?" Rom. ix. 19. It is wonderful, that the errors 
44 and interpolations, which have crept into the Scriptures through 
1,4 the carelessness or design of transcribers, are so few in number, 
44 in comparison with what might reasonably have been expected, 
44 from their passing through so many hands, in so many succes- 
44 sive ages. The passage before us, T fear, has been tampered 
44 with : for I cannot conceive it possible, that the words, which 
44 follow next, could have been inserted in the original copy : they 
44 have no meaning, according to my notion of things, at least 
66 none worthy of a divine revelation ; and they certainly militate 
44 against all our ideas of the sole and undivided sovereignty of the 
a great Creator, What then is to be done in such a case ? Read 
44 it, I suppose, I must 5 because, I observe, several of our friends 
44 are listening to this soliloquy of mine, and perhaps will not be 
44 satisfied without seeing the thing for themselves. Well, then : 
a The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our 

44 Lord, and of his Christ; and He shall reign for ever and 

44 ever," or more literally, 44 for ages of ages." Can any tiling 
44 now be more evident, than that the words, and of his Christ, 
44 are an interpolation ; since the latter part of the sentence is 
44 so well connected with the former, on a supposition of their 
44 being omitted ? The passage will then run as follows : 44 The 
44 kingdoms of ' this world are become the kingdoms of our 

44 Lord ; and He shall reign for ever and ever." Having 

" thus dexterously got rid of what appeared so great an eye- 
44 sore, so unaccountable an interpolation ; how beautiful and how 

44 rational the sentiment in it's present amended form ! still 

44 however with the exception of one word, which, though before 
44 noticed, was not completely got over, and which, for the life of 
i: mc, I cannot yet tell what to make of. The kingdoms are said 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



299 



* to have become the kingdoms of our Lord ; and in the 10th 
" verse of the very next chapter it is again written, « Now is come 
»' ; salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God." It does 

" not signify ; I must turn to the original : and there I 

" find the same word in both places. To be sure, the word may 
" signify simply to be ; in which case the passage asserts no more, 
" than that the kingdoms of this world are the kingdoms of our 
" Lord, and of his Christ : but in most cases it denotes a com* 
" ing to pass of something, which did not before exist, at least in 
" the same state or respect. This criticism, therefore, I fear,- will 
" avail me nothing : and after all, recourse must still be had to 
" the old, effectual, and by far the most expeditious way of get- 

" ting clear of all difficulties. [Here a by-stander gently 

" whispers into the speaker's ear, " Fray, Sir, what may that 

f< be " What ? Why, as our good friend Dr. Priestley 

" said more than twenty years ago, when writing against the doc- 
" trines of the New Jerusalem, and the divinity of Jesus Christ, 
" boldly to conclude, that some error has crept into the text. For 
" who does not see, that it is impossible for any mere man, as Je- 
"sus Christ undoubtedly is, to share with the great Jehovah 
u in the empire of the universe, to be the joint-sovereign with 
" him over the kingdoms of this world, and to become the rival, 
66 in omnipotence, of the Creator of heaven and earth ? And we 
; < all know, that what is impossible in it's own nature, can never 
" be made the truth of revelation." 

Such is the language, the reasoning, and the conclusion of the 
Unitarian, who measures every thing by a standard of his own 
framing, who can see through no other medium, and by no other 
light, than that of mere nature. Let us now hear the Trinita- 
rian. He also pursues his meditation in the same way, as the 
Unitarian has done, by first reading, and then commenting upon 
the passage. 

" The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our 
" Lord," that is, of God the Father, the first person in the 
" divine trinity : for though there are two other persons, and each 
« of them entitled to the name of Lord, as well as the first per- 
" son, still it is presumed, that the Father must be here meant s 



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A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



" partly out of deference to the rank he holds in the trinity, and 
44 partly because mention is afterwards made of Christ, who is 
64 the Son, or second person. But how it happens to be asserted, 
64 that the kingdoms of this world are now, as it were for the first 
64 time, become the kingdoms of God the Father, is perhaps dif- 
" ficult to be explained. I suppose there is some mystery in the 
64 affair : and if so, we have nothing to do, but to submit our un- 
64 derstanding to faith, and without any more ado believe it: for 
44 this is the very way we get through all the difficulty about a 
" trinity of persons, when we hold out, that each of them sepa- 
i6 rately and by himself is one complete Lord and God, and yet 

44 all of them together make no more than one ! Well, but to 

6i proceed : 44 The kingdoms of this world are become the king- 
44 doms of our Lord, and of his Christ," that is, of the second 
44 person in the trinity, called the Son, who being co-equal in ma- 
44 jesty, glory, and divinity, with the Father himself, is there - 
44 fore equally entitled to dominion over the works of creation, as 
44 well as of grace. I see no necessity at all for having recourse 
64 to any supposed interpolations or additions to the sacred text, 
44 as the Unitarian pretends to say he does. For why may not the 
* 4 government of the universe be a joint concern between two di- 
44 vine persons? nay, if we come to that, and even between three? 
44 or, as St. Augustine says, any other number of persons that we 
54 please ?* since it is not yet absolutely settled which scheme, 
54 that of the Realists, or that of the J\*ominalists, is the truest and 
44 the best ? At any rate the words of the text are positive as to 
44 two persons : and therefore, beyond all further controversy, 

i6 the question is so far decided. We proceed again : 44 The 

" kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, 
* 4 and of his Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever." 
" Who now is meant by the term He ? To which of the divine 
a persons already named does this pronoun refer ? to the Fa- 

* St. Austin, (as he is called,) although he wrote fifteen books about the 
Trinity, was yet so far from understanding it, that he says, book 5, cap. 9, 
that there are not three persons only in the Trinity, but that there may be any 
other number! Remember, reader, this is one of fat fathers of the Christian 
church, so called. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



301 



4i ther, or to the Son ? to him who is distinguished by the ap- 
" pellation Lord, or to him who is called Christ ? Who knows 
44 (a lucky thought!) but it may bear some allusion to the third 
" person, called the Holy Ghost ? especially as it is introduced 
44 immediately after the first and second person, which certainly 
44 is the right order ? I am half inclined to think, that it does. 
" And yet I must confess, I should have been better satisfied, 
" had distinct mention been first made of all the three persons ; 

" and then, to shew the unanimity hold ! let me correct my- 

44 self ! I mean the unity of them all, the closing words would have 
f* had their full effect, and the tri-personal scheme would have tri- 
44 umphed over every opposition. For then the sovereignty would 
" have been fairly divided amongst the three divine persons, and 
44 they would all have concurred in ruling and reigning as One 

44 God for ever and ever. But I am afraid this is getting on 

too fast ; and that such an argument, or rather such an hypo- 
44 thesis, cannot be maintained from the passage, as it really 
44 stands. Well, I see there is no end to conjecture ; and that, 
44 when a man starts in such a race, he only runs himself out of 
44 breath, and at last comes back again to the old spot, almost 
44 fatigued to death. The only safe, smooth, and comfortable way 
44 then, after all, is, to receive as orthodox whatsoever the church 
44 has established since the days of Athanasius ; to set down all 
" knotty and disputable points as so many mysteries of faith, 
44 which are not to be investigated, much less understood, but sim- 
" ply to be believed ; in short, to take and leave every thing just 
44 as I find it, and to allow to others the pleasure, (if any,) as well 
44 as the pain and profit, of ransacking their brains to find out 
44 what neither they nor any one else will ever be able to disco- 
u ver." 

Having thus patiently listened to the reasonings and observa- 
tions of the Unitarian, and of the Trinitarian, till we are fairly 
tired out with their childishness, as well as their length, but which 
nevertheless we thought we might venture for once to hear, we 
have now only to remark, that the passage, which gave rise to all 
these reflections, is in itself so plain and easy to be understood, as 
ihe intelligent reader must be well aware, on the principle of 



302 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OP 



there being only One God in One Divine Person, and that Go<5 
being oar Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, that none of the 
doubts, absurdities, and implied contradictions, with which we 
Lave seen it loaded in other hands, do in the least applv, or bear 
upon it, when viewed in it's true and genuine light. On the con- 
trary, the very darkness, which is so visible, nay tangible, on the 
approach of certain reasoners, doubters, and debaters, serves only 
to make the light of truth, where it does appear, more grateful to 
the eye, and more delightful to the heart. 



p32.] Apoc. xii. 10. " And I heard a loud voice, saying in 
(i heaven, Wow is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom 
" of our God, and the power of his Christ." 

Here again, as in the preceding article, the kingdom of God, 

and the power of his Christ, are both mentioned together, as 

having taken place in consequence of some change of state in the 

church. In the former part of the chapter it is expressly said, 

that there was war in heaven, and that after a close ensao-ement 

' © © 

between Michael and his angels on the one part, and the dragon, 
the old serpent s called the Devil and Satan, with his angels, on 
the other part, victory declared in favour of the former, and the 
latter were completely overthrown. The result of this victory, 
and change of state, is then described as an accession of strength 
or power both to God and Christ. In what manner this is to be 
understood, we have already explained ; and at the same time 
shewn, that by the term Lord or God is meant the Essential Di- 
vinity of our Saviour, and by the term Christ his Divine Huma- 
nity. From which consideration it follows, that wheresoever or 
with whomsoever the Lord is thus acknowledged, there or in re- 
ference to such an one it may be truly said, that " now is come 
" salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the 
power of his Christ." 

The dragon and his angels denote all those, who maintain the 
doctrine of a trinity of persons in the Godhead, who deny the Di- 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, & c . 



30S 



vinity of the Lord's Humanity, and who make faith alone sepa- 
rate from charity to carry with it the power of salvation. On the 
other hand, Michael and his angels denote all those, who main- 
tain the doctrine of a divine trinity in one person, viz. in the per- 
son of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ ; who believe that his 
Humanity is wholly Divine, he and the Father being One God, as 
the body and soul are one man ; and who moreover insist upon 
the necessity of joining to a true faith in him the principle of love 
and charity, by living according to the precepts of the decalogue. 
The war in heaven, or in the spiritual world, is the opposition be- 
tween these two doctrines in the minds of men ; and the victory 
of Michael over the dragon clearly points out the ultimate success 
and prevalence of the New Jerusalem, which will in due time 
surmount every obstacle thrown in it's way. and at length become 
a praise and a blessing in all the earth. 



[133.] Apoc. xiv. 4. " These [the hundred and forty-four 
66 thousand] are they who follow the Lamb whithersoever he go= 
" eth : these were redeemed from among men, being the first - 
"fruits unto God, and to the Lamb." 

How unworthy of divine revelation must that doctrine be, 
which teaches, that the Object so constantly held up to our view 
in the Sacred Pages, and in the present passage described as the 
centre of attraction to those who are saved, should yet be no bet- 
ter in his own nature, and no higher in his origin, than the very 
persons who unceasingly follow him with their praises and accla- 
mations ! no other than a mere man ! If indeed he merit all this 
glory heaped upon him, absurd and ridiculous in the extreme must 
it be to rank him even as the highest among created beings ; since 
the very first condition of the existence of the highest, as well as 
of the lowest, finite creature is, that he shall for ever be as no- 
thing, in order that the infinite Creator may be every -thing-. 

In all the Scriptures this great truth is never lost sight of: and 
therefore we may be sure, that those divine honours, which so 



304 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



abundantly distinguish the Lamb, can belong only to the Su- 
preme God, who is pleased to designate by that name the Huma- 
nity assumed by himself, for the salvation of the world. How else 
could it with propriety be said, that the hundred and forty -four 
thousand, being redeemed from among men, were the first -fruits 
unto God, and to the Lamb ? And how else could these obtain 
the character given them in ver. 5, of having a mouth free from 
guile, and of being without fault before the throne of God, if all 
the while they were practising a double worship, one directed to 
the Creator, and the other to the creature ? 

The first-fruits, in the representative church, were offered to 
Jehovah, as an acknowledgment, that the whole harvest, all the 
products of the earth, with every other blessing spiritual and natu- 
ral, were the gift of his bountiful hand. So in the real church, 
the hundred and forty -four thousand are said to be the first-fruits 
unto God, and to the Lamb, because, as divine truth teaches, the 
redemption and salvation of them, as well as of the countless 
multitudes represented by them, who in like manner shall follow 
the Lamb whithersoever he goes, is alone to be ascribed to the 
same omnipotent and merciful Being, whose Divinity and Hu- 
manity (called also his Divine Humanity ) are so repeatedly re- 
ferred to under the terms God and the Lamb. 



[134.] Apoc. xvii. 14. "These shall make war with the Lamb, 
" and the Lamb shall overcome them : for he is Lord of Lords. 
" and King of Kings." 



By the titles, which are given to any one, we learn to know and 
estimate his character, quality, and office. Of Jehovah it is 
written, and none will dispute the word, that he is " God of gods, 
" and Lord of lords," Deut. x. 17; that he is "a great King 
"over all the earth," Ps. xlvii. 2, 7; that "he removeth kings, 
" and seiteth up kings" being himself the " Lord of kings," 
Dan. ii. 21, 47; that as the Most High " he ruleth over the king- 
" dom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will," Dan. iv. 17. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 305 



Indeed so peculiarly appropriate to the great Ruler of the uni- 
verse are the titles and powers above ascribed to him, that the 
very idea of applying them to any other (except representatively 
and subordinately, as in Dan. ii. 37.) must excite in the breast of 
every considerate person -a species of indignation, which cannot 
perhaps be better expressed than in the words of the Psalmist, 
" Who in the heaven can be compared unto Jehovah ? Wlw 
" among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto Jehovah ? 59 
Ps. lxxxix. 6. 

Here however we find the same titles, with the same power 
and authority, which belong exclusively to Jehovah ? ascribed 
also to the Lamb. And hence we are naturally led to inquire, 
Who is the Lamb, and what is he, that such extraordinary de- 
ference is paid to him in this book of divine revelation ? Can all 
this honour rest upon the head of a mere creature, dependent for 
his very existence on the nod of him, whose jealousy never yet 
suffered an equal, and whose glory, if shared by another, would 
necessarily tarnish, and at length perish ? No : it can belong on- 
ly to him, who " hath all -power in heaven and in earth," Matt, 
xxviii. 18 5 to him, who, whether he be called a Lion, or a Lamb, 
Apoc. v. 5, 6 ; a Lord, or a King, chap. xvii. 14 ; chap. xix. 16; 
the First, or the Last, chap. i. 17 ; chap. xxii. IS ; the Root of 
David, or the Offspring of David, chap. v» 5 ; chap. xxii. 16; 
the Morning Star, or the Sun of Righteousness, chap. i. 16 ; 
chap. x. 1 ; chap. xix. 17; chap. xxi. 23 ; chap. xxii. 16 ; the Son 
of Man, or Son of God, chap. i. 13 ; chap. ii. 18 ; the Faithful 
Witness, or the Word of God, chap. i. 5f chap. xix. 13 ; an 
Angel, or the Sender of Angels, chap. x. 1 ; chap. xix. 17; 
chap. xxii. 6, 16; Jesus, or Christ, chap. xix. 10; chap. xx. 6; 
—is yet no other than the Lord God Almighty himself inafm- 
man form, chap. i. 8 to 18; the Bridegroom and Husband of 
his church, chap. xix. 7 ; chap. xxi. 9 ; the Creator of the world, 
John i. 3, 10; the Everlasting Father, Isa. ix. 6; John xiv. 
9 ; the Fountain and Giver of life, salvation, and eternal happi- 
ness, John x. 28 ; chap. xi. 25, 26. Well and truly then is he 
declared to be the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, as alone 

Qq 



306 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



worthy to receive the homage of all in heaven above, and all in 
the church below. 



[135.] Apoc. xix. 7, 9. " Let us he glad and rejoice, and give 
" honour to Him [the Lord God Omnipotent :] for the marri- 
" age of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself 
i; ready. Blessed are they, who are called to the marriage-sup - 
"per of the Lamb." 



By the Lamb, as we have already seen, is meant our Lord 
Jesus Christ with respect to bis Divine Humanity, who is call- 
ed a Bridegroom and Husband. By his wife is meant the church? 
which acknowledges him alone, not only as her Saviour and Re- 
deemer, but also as her God, yea as the One Only God of heaven 
and earth. This vital acknowledgment produces interior and full 
conjunction with him ; and such conjunction is what is under- 
stood by the marriage of the Lamb, which only then takes place 
in the church general, or in the church individual, when the Hu- 
manity of the Lord is immediately approached, and worshipped as 
Divine. 

The reason why the marriage of the Lamb is described as a 
new event in the church, is, because heretofore, that is to say, be- 
fore the second advent of the Lord, or before the commencement 
of the New Jerusalem, it was not clearly or fully known, that in 
Jesus Christ is comprized the ivhole of the divine trinity ; that 
as to his Divinity or Soul he is the Father, as to his Humanity or 
Body he is the Son, and as to his proceeding Operation or Influ- 
ence he is the Holy Spirit ; thus that his Humanity is really and 
truly Divine, because in perfect union with the Divinity within 
him 5 and consequently that as to his Divine Humanity he is the 
sole legitimate and accessible Object of all worship. But the 
great event of the Lord's second advent having at length actual 
ly taken place, and with it the commencement of the New and 
True Christian Church, called the New Jerusalem, the knowledge 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. ' 307 

of the above-mentioned truths has already been communicated to 
the world, and in consequence thereof the marriage of the Lamb 
is now announced, the church his bride and wife is now in a state 
of preparation to receive and honour him, and "blessed are they, 
" who are called to the marriage-supper of the Lamb." 

It is observable in the passage before us, that the arrival of the 
time for the marriage of the Lamb, as above described, is stated 
as a reason why the church ought to rejoice, and give honour to 
i/te Lord God Omnipotent. And surely, upon the principles 
here advanced, nothing can be better calculated to yield glory and 
honour to the Lord God Omnipotent, than the consideration 
that He Himself in his Divine Humanity is that very Lamb, 
with whom the church has now entered into spiritual covenant 
and conjunction, as into a marriage with her Divine Husband. 
Whereas, on a supposition that the Lamb, or Jesus, who is so 
called, were no other than a mere man, or a mere angel, or a mere 
creature of any supposed rank ; or were he even what some pre- 
tend to say he is, a mere second, meaning a second-rate person in 
the Trinity ; in either of these cases, so far would spiritual con- 
junction or marriage with him be from promoting the honour of 
the Lord God Omnipotent, that it would, on the contrary, da- 
tract from it, in the exact proportion in which any other name, 
any other being, or any other person, than the One Supreme God 
and Father himself, should be set up in competition or in con- 
junction with him. 

Again, therefore, we feel ourselves at home, and as it were 
seated at the very marriage-supper itself, in company with an in- 
numerable assemblage of angels and happy spirits, while we draw 
the conclusion, which all in heaven with one unanimous voice of 
exultation affirm, that the Lord God Omnipotent and the Lamb 
are still one and the same ever-blessed and ever-adorable God, 



[136.] Apoc. xix. 10. " The testimony of Jesus is the spirit 
of prophecy." 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



So very important has this passage been thought, that it ha's- 
been selected as the motto or ruling feature of the present work : 
because it's whole drift is to testify, both from the letter and from 
the spirit of the Word, that is, from the mouth of Jesus himself,, 
that he alone is the Supreme God of heaven and earth 5 and con- 
sequently that every other being is and ought to be for ever ex- 
cluded from all participation in any one of the divine attributes, 
from all share in any thing resembling divine adoration. 

The testimony of Jesus is frequently named in the Apocalypse, 
and by it is understood the same as by the Word of God, viz. an 
avowal of the Divinity of the Lord's Humanity, and the necessi- 
ty of a life according to the commandments : on which account 
they are also mentioned both together, in like manner as the terms 
God and the Lamb : see chap. i. 2, 9 ; chap. vi. 9 5 chap. xii. 17 ; 
chap. xvi. 12 5 and chap. xx. 4. And this testimony is not only 
given by or from Jesus, even in those cases where others testify 
of him, by a power and illumination derived from him ; but it is a 
testimony also entirely concerning himself: and hence the very 
spirit of all prophecy , that is, of all divine revelation, most inte- 
riorly considered, is wholly and solely occupied in describing his 
person and character, either in his state of humiliation, or in his 
state of glorification ; his divine attributes and perfections ; his 
infinite love to mankind, which prompted him to become then- 
Saviour and Redeemer, as before he had been their Creator ; his 
infinite wisdom, which enabled him to foresee and provide the 
means necessary to effect his purpose 5 and his divine omnipo- 
tence in accomplishing all the ends which he had in view from the 
first day of creation, and which he will unceasingly pursue through 
the never-ending ages of eternity. 

In confirmation of these great truths, we read as follows, 
" John came for a witness, to bear witness of the light. He was 
" not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light. John 
" bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he, of whom I 
« spake, He that cometh after me, is preferred before me : for he 
" was before me" John i. 7, 8, 15. " Ye sent unto John, and he 
« bare ivitness unto the truth. But I receive not testimony from 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



309 



^ man. I have greater witness than that of John : for the works, 
" which the Father hath given me to do, the same works that I 
44 do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. And the 
" Father himself, who hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. 
44 Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal 
" life, and they are they which testify of me. Had ye believed 
" Moses, ye would have believed me ; for he wrote of me" John 
v. 33, 34, 36, 37, 39, 46. " The Pharisees said unto him, Thou 
"bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true. Jesus an- 
" svvered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, 
44 yet my record is true. I am one that bear witness of myself ; 
" and the Father, that sent me, beareth witness of me. Then said 
» they unto him, Where is thy Father ? Jesus answered, Ye nei- 
" ther know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye would 
" have known my Father also," John viii. 13, 14, 18, 19. For 
£< I and my Father are One " John x. 30. 44 Your father Abra- 
44 ham rejoiced to see my day : and he saw it, and was glad.* 
44 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, 
44 and hast thou seen Abraham ? Jesus said, Verily verily I say 
44 unto you, Before Abraham was, I am" John viii. 56 to 58. " Je- 
" sus saith, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. He that 
« hath seen me, hath seen the Father," John xiv. 6, 9. " When 
" the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Fa- 
24 ther, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Far 
44 ther, he shall testify of me," John xv. 26. 44 He shall not speak 
. 44 of himself: he shall glorify me ; for he shall receive of mine. 
44 and shall shew it unto you. Ml things that the Father hath, are 
44 mine : therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew 
44 it unto you," John xvi. 13 to 15. Lastly, when two of his disci-* 
pies, travelling to Emmaus, related to Jesus, who was as yet un- 
knownto them, and coimderedby them as a mere stranger, the won- 
derful things which had just then happened, and which had placed 
them in a state of doubt and anxiety as to his character, 44 he said 
44 unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the pro- 
^ pheis have spoken ! ought not Christ to have suffered these 



See the xvii. and xviii. chapters of Genesis. 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



" things, and to enter into his glory ? And beginning at Moses, 
« and all the prophets, he expounded unto them, in all the Scrip- 
" tures, the things concerning himself." — And to the rest of the 
disciples he said, " These are the words, which I spake unto you, 
" while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which 
u were written in the law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in 
u the Psalms, concerning me,"* Luke xxiv. 25 to 27, 44. 

* It is remarkable, that our Lord, in this passage, has designated, or given 
its a key to discover, those books of the Old Testament, as well as those of the 
New, which alone ought to be regarded as canonical or of divine authority in 
the church, because written under the immediate influence and dictation of the 
spirit of Jehovah, or the Loud, and in their inmost sense treating of Him alone. 
The Law of Moses denotes all the historical parts of the Word ; the Prophets, 
all the prophetical parts ,• and the Psalms may fairly be supposed to include 
not only that portion of the Word, which is so named, but likewise all those 
other parts which bear the form and spirit of prayers, praises, thanksgivings, 
and celebrations of the Lord. This rule, therefore, which so well applies to 
the Old Testament, may also be applied to the New ; and by it we are enabled 
to distinguish those books, which are absolutely divine to the very letter, from 
those which, though excellent in their kind, are yet only the productions of 
good and pious men. 

It is true, that, when our Lord declared, that the Scriptures treated of him, 
the New Testament was not then in being, or rather was not penned in the 
letter. But it is to be remembered, that the words of Him, with whom there 
is no succession of time, with whom the future and the past are equally present, 
and who could say, " Before Abraham -was, / aw?," John viii. 58, are not to be 
interpreted by any rules derived from either time or space, mere relations of 
matter, but in agreement with that spiritual and universal view of divine reve- 
lation, which embraces the church, and all things belonging to it, not only in 
the past and present age, but also in that which is still to come. 

It is well known, that many of these predictions, in the Old Testament, of 
events which were to take place inthe future ages, are written in the present, 
and many even in the past tense : and it is a peculiarity in the Hebrew lan- 
guage, that the preterperfect and the f uture tenses are mutually convertible 
into each other, by prefixing the letter vau, which signifies and, and may 
therefore well be supposed to involve their conjunction in one. David was well 
aware, that with the Lord all times and states are alike present, howsoever 
with finite creatures they undergo successions and vicissitudes. "Thine 
<( tyes (says he, addressing Jehovah,) did see my substance yet being unper* 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 311 



We see then what is the nature of the testimony, which Jesus 
gives of himself, and what the testimony which the Word from 
first to last gives concerning him. But, as a most distinguishing 
and remarkable circumstance, it is observable, that the Father him- 
self, known also by the name of Jehovah, and the Holy Spirit or 
Comforter, both unite in giving their testimony wholly and solely 
concerning Jesus ! This extraordinary fact cannot be too strong- 
ly impressed upon the mind of the reader. It speaks louder, and 
more effectually, than any testimony proceeding from the lips of 
either angel or man. The reason of the case may likewise be ea- 
sily perceived : it is doubtless because, Jesus being actually Je- 

"fect, and in thy book all my members (or rather days) were -written, which 
"in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them," Ps. 
cxxxix. 16. In like manner the four Gospels, and the Apocalypse, being the 
only divine books of the New Testament, and being" at the same time both his- 
torical and prophetical, may be truly said to have been already written in spi<- 
rit, even when as yet, in the letter, there was none of them. 

Thus our Lord himself has been graciously pleased to give us the rule, by 
which we are to judge of those books and writings, which alone deserve to be 
honoured by the church as divine, viz. That in their inmost sense they treat 
solely of him, and in a subordinate sense of the things relating to his ki?igdom,> 
It is in these respects alone, that the Scriptures are acknowledged to be sa- 
€red, the truths which they contain to be divine, and their whole spirit and 
expression to be the Word of God, and the Testimosct of Jesus. In agree- 
ment with this view of our Lord's words, a particular enumeration of all the 
divine boohs contained in the Sacred Scriptures, is given by Emanuel Sweden- 
borg in his Jlrcana Ccelestia, n. 10,325 ; in the New Jerusalem, and it* s Heaven- 
ly DoctriTie, n. 266: and in the White Horse, n. 16; being as follows. In the 
Old Testament, the five books of Moses, called Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus^ 
Numbers, and Deuteronomy ; the book of Joshua, the book of Judges, the two 
books of Samuel, the two books of Kings, the Psalms of David ; the Prophets, 
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah^ 
Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah^ MalachL 
And in the New Testament, the four Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, 
John ; and the Apocalypse. Total Thirty four Books, which complete the 
Canon of the Sacred Scripture, or Word of God ; beginning with the Old 
Pentateuch or Five Books of Moses, and ending with the New Pentateuch or 
Five Books of the Lamb ; including between them T-ventyfour other Histori- 
cal, Prophetical, and Divinely-Poetical Books 



312 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



hovah, and yet appearing in the world only as a Man, it was 
necessary to provide an evidence to his divinity, at once propor- 
tioned to the possible doubts of his creatures, and to the reality of 
his high character : Whereas no such evidence seems to be re- 
quired to convince men of the existence either of the Father, or 
of the divine operations understood by the Holy Spirit. And 
hence it is, that the. testimony of Jesus alone is in many parts of 
the Word the very letter of prophecy, but in all parts it's true 
spirit and power. 

Were it possible, after all that has been collected from the Sa- 
cred Scriptures on this subject, still to entertain the idea, that 
Jesus was a mere man, or a mere angel, might we not fairly sus- 
pect, that the pitch of glory, the summit of exaltation, to which as 
a creature he is most unaccountably and unreasonably elevated, 
would in the end only lead to his utter downfal and destruction ? 
since no finite being can with impunity receive to himself the ho- 
nours, which exclusively belong to the Creator ? 

Or again, were it possible still to believe, that Jesus was a mere 
partner in the divine nature, should we not be justifiable in con- 
cluding, that he was superior in dignity to both the Father and 
the Holy Ghost ; and therefore ought to be ranked as the first 
person in the Trinity, rather than as the second? seeing that of 
the three he has obtained the more excellent glory of receiving 
testimony from each of the others ? But these groundless sur- 
mises, though they naturally arise from the false premises of Uni- 
tarian and Trinitarian theology, which we have just been notic- 
ing, have nothing in common with the divine truth of revelation : 
and therefore we dismiss them, to make room for more useful and 
genuine views of the person and character of our Lord. 

It is evident from the passages above quoted, and especially 
from the last, that he is the great Object continually kept in view 
both in the historical and prophetical parts of the Word, as well 
as in the Psalms. And though this may not be discernible by su- 
perficial readers, who, like swallows skimming over the surface 
of the water for the mere purpose of feeding upon flies and in- 
sects, in like manner run over the external history and prophecy, 
filling their minds with natural images, facts, and expressions. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



513 



without the least suspicion of any deeper and more valuable sense 
couched under them ; yet to those, who regard the Word of the 
Lord as divine, and consequently as chiefly applicable to subjects 
of a heavenly and eternal nature, and only subordinately or re- 
presentatively treating of things earthly and transitory, it maj r be 
made very evident, that it's whole contents, in the supreme sense, 
have direct reference to the Lord himself, his assumption of hu- 
manity in our world, his transactions while in the flesh, and his 
final return to that same glory, (now more than ever resplend- 
ent both in heaven and in the church,) which he had before all 
worlds. 

Nor is all this to be wondered at as a thing incredible, if it be 
considered, that the Lord is not only the Author of the Word, as 
being the fountain and source of the divine truth which it con- 
tains, but that he is at the same time also the Word itself ; that 
Word, 44 which in the beginning was with God, and was God ; 
44 by which all things in the universe were brought into existence; 
44 and which, in the fulness of time, was made flesh, and dwelt 
44 among us (as a Man) full of grace and truth," John i. 1,3, 14. 



[137.] Apoc. xix. 11 to 16. 44 I saw heaven opened, and be* 
44 hold, a white horse ; and he that sat upon him was called Faith- 
ei fid and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make 
¥ war. His eyes were as aflame of fire, and on his head were 
" many crowns ; and he had a name written, that no man knew 
44 hut he himself And he was clothed in a vesture dipt in blood: 
44 and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies, 
" which were in heaven, followed him upon white horses, clothed 
44 in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a 
44 sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations : and he 
44 shall rule them with a rod of iron : and he treadeth the wine- 
44 press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he 
44 hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written^ Kin* of 
44 Kings, and Lord of Lords." 

R r 



314 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



The whole of this description perfectly coincides with that pre- 
viously given of the Son of Man seen in the midst of the seven 
golden candlesticks, before whom John fell down as dead, Apoc. 
i. 13 to 18. That it is a description of the Lord, that is, of Jesus. 
both with respect to his Humanity, and with respect to his Word. 
which are always to be identified as One, when interiorly consi- 
dered, is plain from all the particulars contained in it. The 
phrase King of Kixgs has reference to divine truth, or divine 
wisdom : and Lord of Lords, to divine good, or divine love. 
And as these two titles are equally applied to the Lamb, that is, 
to the Lord, chap. xvii. 14, and to the Word ; and as moreover 
we have seen, in article 134, that similar titles are given in the 
Old Testament to Jehovah the Creator of all things ; it is very 
evident, from all that has been said on the subject, that Jehovah, 
and Jesus, and the Word, are all identified as one divine source 
and fountain of life ; and that, in point of spiritual operation upon 
the human mind, they are and must remain for ever inseparable. 

Can it with any face of reason or common sense be seriously 
imagined, by any person who has not a keeper at his elbow, tha£ 
such a lofty and sublime description, as that above given, belongs 
to a mere man, a fellow -creature, partner in ail the infirmities 
and miseries of common humanity? And is it not enough, that 
this mere man should be called faithful and true, a righteous 
Judge and Warrior, having eyes like a flame of fire, innumerable 
crowns on his head, and a name written, that no man knew but 
he himself ? not enough, that he should be clothed in a vesture 
dipt in blood ; that his name should be called The Word of God : 
that he should be followed by whole armies of the angelic host, 
and thus acknowledged by them as their Captain and Leader ? 
not enough again, that a sharp sword should be seen to proceed 
out of his mouth, with which he may smite the nations, and rule 
them with a rod of iron, though still enduring the fierceness and 
wrath of almighty God ? But must all this be preceded, or an- 
nounced, by no less an event, than the very opening of heaven it- 
self, as introductory to it ? And again must the whole scene be 
crowned, by bringing together into one brilliant focus of glory all 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 8T5 

the scattered rays of celestial light and heat, wherever they were 
to be found, in heaven, in the church, or in the Word, and by one 
sacred act of investiture proclaiming him King of Kings, and 
Lord of Lords ? 

Is it to be conceived, that honours like these, divine in every 
sense of the word, do really belong to any mere man, or to any 
mere angel ? Nay, would or could either man or angel accept of 
them, were the offer supposed to be a possible case ? Yet there 
are professors of the Christian name, who, regarding Jesus in no 
respect different from themselves, except perhaps in the superior 
sanctity of his character, and in higher attainments of the divine 
favour, which they allow him to possess, must either acknowledge, 
that according to their system he is capable, as a mere man, of 
supporting these honours, or else must explain all away as " high' 
" ly figurative language," without any adequate meaning or ap- 
plication. 

Or, it is not impossible, but feeling themselves rather pressed 
in this point, they may think to extricate themselves from the di- 
lemma, by boldly declaring, that the passage has no reference 
whatever to Jesus Christ, but to something else, which they call 
the Logos, or Wisdom of Godwin some way or other communicat- 
ed to him, yet existing (as they suppose) without either form or 
substance of it's own, but only as a vague quality or principle, 
diffused, like pure ether, in things that have form and substance. 
If you ask them, How can a quality be diffused, separately from a 
substance ? they will to such a question make no answer, if they 
are prudent: but if otherwise, they will not hesitate to say^ 
" God is omnipotent ; and he can, if he please, diffuse either 
« qualities without substances, or substances without qualities!!" 
And thus, according to the wisdom of these men, a mere quality 
may ride upon a white horse! and, though itself without either 
form or substance, may yet be equipped with flaming eyes, a 
crowned head, a bloody garment, and a sharp sword proceeding 
out of it's mouth ! ! — * — Again, according to the same wisdom, a 
mere quality may have three names ; the first being a name known 
«nly to itself; the second, a name descriptive of divine truth, 
which is The Word of God ; and the third, a name characterise 



316 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



tic of a Man, on whose vesture and thigh is written, King of 

Kings, and Lord of Lords ! ! But here let us stop, that we 

may recover from the fatigue of pursuing, or even noticing, such 
idle dreams, such fantastic images, which can only float in the at- 
mosphere of imagination, or have an existence in the shadows of 
night. 

O how vain and delusive must all those reasonings be, which 
would attempt to reduce either to empty figure, or to unmeaning 
description, those divine declarations, so often repeated in the Sa- 
cred Scriptures, so fondly dwelt upon by every Prophet, Evange- 
list, and Apostle, and so delightfully varied in all their heaven- 
derived modes of expression, which with one consent ascribe to 
Jesus, and to Jesus alone, as God manifested in a human form 9 
as the Sovereign and Universal Lord of heaven and earth, all 
glory, honour, might, majesty, and dominion, for ever and ever ! 



[138.] Apoc. xxi. 6, 7. " And he said unto me, It is done. I 
" am Mpha and Omega, the beginning and the end : I will give 
" unto him that is athirst, of the fountain of the water of life 
66 freely. He that overcometh, shall inherit all things; and / will 

be his God, and he shall be my son" 

To be satisfied, that these words were spoken by Jesus, we 
have only to compare them with what he has said in other places r 
and with the testimony given by the writer of the Apocalypse in 
those passages, where our Lord does not himself speak in person. 
In the first chapter, ver. 8, 11, 17, Jesus, in the character of the 
Son of Man, says, " I am Mpha and Omega, the beginning and 
6i the ending, who is, who ivas, and who is to come, the Almighty* 
& Jam the first and the last." The same he again repeats in 
chap. xxii. 13. The Evangelist also writes as follows : " In the 
" last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, say* 
<» ing, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink," John 
vii. 37. And again Jesus says in another place, " Whosoever 
* J drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. Sir 

•» thirst : but the water, that I shall give him, shall be in him 
66 a well of water springing up into everlasting life" chap, 
iv. 14. 

From a comparison of these passages with the former, it is evi- 
dent, that Jesus is the speaker in each case : and as it is impos- 
sible that he can answer to the high character, which he thus 
gives himself, unless lie be indeed and in truth the living God, 
if we give credit to his words so solemnly and deliberately utter- 
ed, we are under the necessity of admitting, in all it's fulness and 
weight, the inference and conclusion so fairly deducible from the 
premises, namely, that he is, and can be no other than, the One 
Infinite, Eternal, and Omnipotent God. And this appears to be 
the very end, to which we are conducted by the passage before 
us. After promising to the thirsty the water of eternal life, and 
to him that is faithful unto the end an everlasting and superabun- 
dant inheritance, he adds what is to be expected as the consum- 
mation of all hopes and all blessings in one short word, viz. " J 
* 4 will be his God, and he shall be my son." 

And here again, from the last expression, my son, arises a new 
evidence in favour of the supreme Divinity of our blessed Lord. 
He calls the regenerate person his son. Must he not then him- 
self be a Father ? and if a Father, then is he not the Only and 
" Everlasting Father ?" Isa. ix. 6. To his disciples he says, 
" One is your Father, who is in heaven," Matt, xxiii. 9. But is 
there any other Father in heaven, than he, who, sitting upon the 
throne of heaven, proclaims himself Alpha and Omega, the Be- 
ginning and the End, the Giver of the water of life freely, the 
bountiful God and Father of his people? It cannot be. Yet Je- 
sus expressly declares, that he himself is this First and Last, this 
Fountain of life, this Giver of every good gift, this God of re- 
demption and salvation, in a word, this merciful Parent of angels 
and men. 

But all these divine characters still belong to the great Jeho- 
vah, and can never be surrendered by him to any being inferior 
to himself. Are there then two claimants to the crown of hea- 
ven ? two that bear the name of King of glory, Lord of life, Sa- 
viour, Redeemer, Mighty God* and Everlasting Father? Not 



SIS A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 

but there is such a thing as the divine essence, in itself invisible 
and inaccessible to the mind of man : there is also such a thing 
as the divine form, visible and accessible : the former is called 
Jehovah, the latter is called Jesus: and both together, the di- 
vine essence in the divine form, the Essential Divinity in the Di- 
vine Humanity, the Father in the Son, Jehovah in Jesus, like 
the soul in the body of a man, constitute the One living and eter- 
nal God. Therefore, directing the mental eye to Jesus, as to 
this visible and accessible Object, in whom are united and con- 
centrated all the characters and perfections of the divine nature, 
and from whom is derived every thing good and true in the 
church, we address him alone as God and Man in One Person, 
saying, " Thou only art the Father, thou only art the Son, and 
44 thou only art the Holy Spirit. Thy name is Jehovah of hosts, 
" the Holy One of Israel, the Mighty God of Jacob. Thou art 
44 Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the 
« last, who wast, who art, and who art to come, the Almighty. 
" Thou art the King of glory 5 thou art the Lord of life. From 
everlasting to everlasting, of heaven and earth thou alone art 
« God."* 



[139.] Apoc. xxi. 22, 23. " And I saw no temple therein : for 
Ji the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. 
"And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to 
& shine in it : for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb 
ft is the light thereof." 

By no temple being seen in the New Jerusalem, we are not to 
suppose, that in heaven there are no temples, or places of wor- 
ship ; for John expressly declares, in various parts of his Revela- 
tion, that he saw there a temple, as well as a tabernacle, and an 
altar: but we are to understand, that in the New Jerusalem, both 

* See Liturgy of the New Church, as used in the New Jerusalem Temple. 
Bolton-Street, Salford, Manchester, p. 82. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 319 



in heaven and upon earth, there will be no external worship se- 
parate from that which is internal. 

The temple evidently denotes worship, and in the supreme 
sense of the word him, from whom the spirit and life of worship 
are derived, and to whom also it is directed. Hence, when Je- 
sus spake of the temple, he did not mean the building of stone in 
the old city of Jerusalem, but alluded to himself, to the temple of 
his oyon body, as that to which the building, together with the 
worship commanded to be performed in it, had reference : see 
John ii. 19 to 21. When John, therefore, in the celestial state^ 
to which he was elevated, declares that he saw no temple in the 
New Jerusalem, he only describes, in pure prophetic language, 
how every minor object, even the sun itself, shrinks from the eye 
of the beholder, on the presence of that Divine Humanity*, 
which constitutes not only the temple of the New Jerusalem, but 
also it's light, it's glory, and it's everlasting day. 

In former articles we have already most abundantly proved, 
that by the terms Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb, are not 
meant two beings, two persons, two objects of adoration, but one 
only, and that one the Divine Human Person of our Lord and 
Saviour Jesus Christ; the former name having respect to his 
Divinity, and the latter to his Humanity, which united in one 
are called the Divine Humanity. Under this view, there ap- 
pears to be no difficulty at all in conceiving, how the Lord God 
Almighty and the Lamb should both together constitute the 
temple of the New Jerusalem ; and again, how the glory of God 
could be said to lighten it, and yet at the same time the Lamb be 
declared the light thereof. For it cannot surely be supposed, 
that there are two distinct fountains and sources of light in hea- 
ven, any more than in the world : and yet this must be the case, 
if God and the Lamb be different persons or beings the one from 
the other. 

Judge then from revelation and from sound reason, how un 
scriptural, how absurd and contradictory, on the one hand, must 
all those systems of theology be, which deny to Jesus the cha- 
racter and title of the Supreme God,, while they allow him to be 

the Lamb, the Son of God. and the Saviour of the world ! And, 



520 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



on the other hand, how consistent with the genuine testimony of 
all divine revelation, and how agreeable to the dictates of sound 
reason, not to say the common sense of mankind, must that doc^ 
trine of life and light be, which teaches, that Jesus, the Saviour of 
the world, the Son of God and Son of Man, the Lamb in the midst 
of the throne, worthy to receive all blessing and honour and glory 
and power, is also at the same time the Lord God Almighty, 
the temple and the light of the New Jerusalem, in short, the One 
Only Potentate, and Sovereign Ruler of the universe ! 



[140.] Apoc. xxi. 2,7. " And there shall in no wise enter into 
"it [the New Jerusalem] any thing that defileth, neither whatso- 
« ever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie : but they who are 
written in the Lamb's book of life. 

By the book of life is meant the Holy Word, or Sacred Scrip- 
ture, by and from which all spiritual life is communicated to man: 
and when man lives according to it's divine instructions, it's 
truths are then said to be inscribed on his heart, and Ms name to 
be written in the book of life. In chap. xx. 12, is described in 
what manner the dead are to be judged, which will be by an open- 
ing of their interiors, as of so many books, and by a comparison 
between such books and the book of life or Sacred Scripture ; 
when according to the agreement or disagreement, which shall 
then appear to exist between them, man will be adjudged either 
to a state of eternal happiness, or to a state of eternal misery. 
The passage is expressed in the following words : 44 I saw the 
" dead, small and great, stand before God ; and the books were 
44 opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: 
" and the dead were judged out of those things, which were written 
44 in the books, according to their works." And it is added in ver. 
15, that 44 whosoever was not found written in the book of life, was 
44 cast into the lake of fire." 

The argument to be drasvn from the preceding considerations 
is, that, as the final state of man hereafter is to be determined by 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



321 



a judgment from the book of life, which is the Sacred Scripture ; 
and as this book of life is declared to be the Lamb's in chap. xiii. 
8, as well as in chap. xxi. 27 : so the Lamb, or Jesus Christ, 
must be the sole Judge of all. and consequently that God, be- 
fore whom the dead, small and great, were seen to stand. And so 
essential is the acknowledgment of him in this his divine character, 
that is. as God and Max united in one person, together with a life 
according to his commandments, that no others, than such as 
realize in themselves a faith and a life of this description, can 
ever set foot within the gates of the holy city, the New Jerusalem 
coming down from above. 



p41,] Apoc. xxii. 1. ; * And he shewed me a pure river of 
" water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of 
(i God and of the Lamb." 



From many parts of the Apocalypse it appears, that both God 
and the Lamb were upon and in the midst of the throne : and 
hence it is equally called here, and in ver. 3, the throne o/God, 
and the throne of the Lamb. But we know, that two divine per- 
sons or beings cannot with any shew of order fill one throne, be- 
cause the infinity or unlimited sovereignty of either would neces- 
sarily exclude the oilier from all participation or share in it. 
And we know further, that although God and the Lamb are both 
said to occupy the throne of heaven, still only Oxe Divixe Per- 
sox was seen to sit thereon : for this is plainly to be gathered 
from chap. iv. 2, 5, 9 to 11 : chap. v. 1 : chap. xix. 4: chap. xx. 
11 : and chap. xxi. 5. Xo other conclusion, then, consistent with 
the Divine Unity so strongly inculcated in the Sacred Scriptures, 
and harmonizing with the common reason of mankind, can be 
drawn from the circumstance of the throne of God being describ- 
ed as the throne also of the Lamb, than that the Oxe God has 
been pleased to announce himself under two different names, by 
the one of which he proclaims his Essextial Divinity, and by 
the other his Divixe Humanity. 

S s 



322 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



It moreover appears evident, (one would think, beyond the 
reach of doubt or controversy,) that this One God is no other than 
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, when we consider, that 
from the throne above described proceeds a pure river of water 
of life, the same kind of water which Jesus also promises to 
u give to those that ask it of him" and which he says " shall be 
" in them a well of water springing up into everlasting life" 
John iv. 10, 14. Is there, can there be, more than one fountain 
of living water? Is Jesus this fountain, or is he not? If he be 
not, what has he been teaching us all this while ? "Why has he 
been calling our attention so much to Himself, as though the ap- 
proach to Him, and the acknoAvledgment of Him, were so essen- 
tially needful, that without it even our addresses to the Deity 
will avail us nothing, in securing either a present help, or an eter- 
nal reward hereafter ? " Come unto me," (says he,) " all ye that 
" labour, and are heavy-laden ; and I will give you rest" Matt. xL 
28. " If ye believe not that I Am, ye shall die in your sins,'* 
John viii. 24. If a man keep my saying, " he shall never see 
" death," ver. 51. " Ye will not come to me, that ye might have 
« life," John v. 40. " Believe in God ; believe also in me," John 
xiv. 1. " This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only 
"true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent," John xvii, 
3. " Without me ye can do nothing," John xv. 5. 

On the other hand, if Jesus be the one fountain of living water , 
and if it be indeed a necessary condition of obtaining eternal life, 
that we believe in Him, make our approaches to Him, and thus 
acknowledge Him as the giver of all that we stand in need of: 
then the doctrine, which explains how all this can be, without im- 
plying a breach of any superior duty* and which teaches, that the 
worship of Him is at the same time the worship of the One True 
God, must, of all the doctrines ever heard of in the church, con- 
cerning the person of Jesus, be admitted to be the most scriptu 
ral, the most rational, and the most satisfactory to the human 
mind. And such is the doctrine of the New Jerusalem concern- 
ing the Lord. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



323 



[ 142.] Apoc. xxii. 3, 4. " And there shall be no more curse : 
u but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his 
4i servants shall serve him. And they shall see his face; and 

his name shall be in their foreheads." 



Having in the preceding articles shewn, that by God and the 
Lamb is meant one and the same Divine Being, and consequent- 
ly that whether the throne of heaven be called the throne of God, 
or the throne of the Lamb, it is still one and the same thing; we 
have only here to observe, that the evidence arising out of the 
present verses plainly enough demonstrates, that we have not in 
these points mistaken the true sense of divine revelation. For 
immediately after naming God and the Lamb, apparently a.stwo 
distinct beings, the writer prophetically and evangelically deter- 
mines their unity and identity, by adding, " And his servants 
" shall serve him : and they shall see his face; and his name 
" shall be in their foreheads." On a contrary supposition, to 
whom does the word his or him refer ? to God, or to the Lamb ? 
Will any person take upon him positively to declare, (we do not 
mean, to prove, for that is entirely out of the question,) that it al- 
ludes to either one of these names, exclusive of the other ? It is 
indeed too evident to admit of a doubt, that both are intended to 
be included ; because we have heard it again and again repeated 
by the same Evangelist, that the whole population of heaven, with- 
out a single exception, are in the habit of ascribing all glory 
and honour, all majesty and dominion, at one time to God and 
the Lamb, and at another time to Him that liveth for ever and 
ever; thereby acknowledging themselves to be the servants of 
both, and yet the worshippers of only One Divine Being. 

In chap. iii. 12, distinct mention is made of the name of God, 
and of the name of Jesus, or the Lamb ; and a promise is given, 
that both these names, as w r ell as the name of the city New Jerusa- 
lem, shall be inscribed on him that overcometh : " I will write 
" upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my 
" God. New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from 



324 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



" my God :* and I will write upon him my new name." But in 
chap. xiv. 1, the name of God is alluded to, singly, in these 

* It has been objected to the sole divinity of Jesus Christ, that in the Gos- 
pel of John, chap. xx. 17, he speaks of his Father and his God, in the same 
manner apparently as he speaks of the Father and God of his disciples: from 
which it is inferred, that Jesus stands in the same relation to the Supreme 
Being, as any other good man does. And the persons, who draw such a con- 
clusion, may confirm themselves in this sentiment from our Lord's words in 
Apoc. iii. 12, where, speaking of him that overcometh, he says " I will write 
" upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God." For 
" in what other sense (say they) can the words be taken, than as an acknow- 
ledgment, on the part of Jesus, of a Power or Being superior to himself, mi- 
lder the name and character of his God?" 

To this we answer, That such words, when proceeding from the lips of a 
mere man, or a mere finite creature of any denomination, do indeed imply 
all that is above stated ; but that the same words, when proceeding from the 
mouth of him, who has all power in heaven and on earth, bear a widely differ- 
ent signification. In this latter case, if we would distinctly perceive the true 
import of the two phrases 7??^ God, and????/ Father, it is first necessary to know 
what is properly meant by the term God, and what by the term Father, as 
distinguished from each other both in the Old Testament and in the New. 
By the term God is meant the divine truth or the divine wisdom proceeding 
from the divine good or the divine love : hence angels, as being receptive of 
such divine truth, are themselves frequently called gods. Again, by the term 
Father is meant the divine good or the divine love, not only in the Lord, but 
also proceeding from the Lord. This is the key, which at once enables us to 
unfold all the mystery. 

The term God, then, as used in the Sacred Scriptures, denotes the divine 
truth proceeding from the Lord, and entering into all the heavens : and inas- 
much as it is still his divine truth, though proceeding from him, who is per- 
sonally far above the heavens, he therefore speaks of it under the usual name 
which it bears in the Volume of inspiration, saying, "I will write upon him 

the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jeru* 
" salem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God .-" by which is meant, 
that he will inscribe on the heart of his people his divine truth, together with 
the doctrine of his divine truth as existing in the New Church, and derived 
from his divine truth such as it is in the heavens. 

The same rule of interpretation will also apply to all those passages, where- 
in our Lord speaks of his Father, apparently as of another Being distinct from 
himself, but in reality of Ms oibn divine good, or liis oton divine love- 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



words : " Lo, a Lamb stood on mount Sion, and with him an hun- 
" died forty and four thousand, having his Father's name writ- 

But still our Unitarian and Trinitarian readers are perhaps not quite satis- 
fied with this interpretation; because they have probably been in the habit of 
considering- the expression my God to be a constant and uniform acknowledg- 
ment, on the part of an inferior, that the being or person so named is superior, 
in dignity, character, and essence, to the person using such language. Be- 
fore they will cordially admit our doctrine, they must have some better proof, 
than mere assertion : and we can almost hear them ask, " Does the great Je- 
" hotah himself, the universally acknowledged God of the universe, ever once 
" make use of expressions any thing like that which we find in the mouth of 
" Jesus Christ ? Does He ever talk of his God, and mean thereby his own di- 
" vine truth? A single instance of this kind, produced from the Sacred Scrip- 
" tures, would settle the point, and give us entire satisfaction." 

Would it so ? Then it shall not be with-held. Let us listen to the words of 
the prophet : " And now, saith Jehovah, Though Israel be not gathered, yet 
" shall I be glorious in the eyes of Jehovah, and my God shall be my strength," 
Isa. xlix. 5. Here the very expressions sought for are found, and found to pro- 
ceed from the mouth of Jehovah, who, as well as Jesus, speaks of " his God 
"being his strength;" by which surely nothing else can be meant, than the 
poiver of his oivn divine truth. He also, in speaking to his servant Israel, by 
whom is signified the Humanity assumed by himself, adds in the next verse, 
"I will also give thee for a light to the gentiles, that thou mayest be my sal- 
ivation unto the end of the earth." And in David it is written, "I have set 
"my King upon my holy hill of Zion," Ps. ii. 6. In these passages Jehovah 
speaks of his God, his salvation, and his Ki7ig, apparently as of some other 
person, but in reality as of some principles proceeding from himself, and by no 
means of any being or principle superior to himself 

Precisely in the same way are we to understand similar expressions in the 
mouth of Jesus, when he says, "I will write upon him that overcometh the 
" name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerasa- 
" lem, coming down out of heaven from my God .•" where, as before observed., 
the expression my God denotes my divine truth. 

It may be further remarked, that, besides the passage above quoted from 
Isaiah, in which Jehovah speaks of himself as of another Being, saying, " I 
" shall be glorious in the eyes of Jehovah;" other instances of the same kind 
are to be found in the prophetical books, as in Isa. li. 15 ; chap. liv. 13 ; chap 
lvi. 6. Jer. xiv. 10. Zech. iii. 2 ; chap. viii. 9, he. he. he. And yet no one 
would think of inferring from such language, that there are more Jehovahs 
than one, or that any other Divine Person is meant, besides the Speaker hinv 



326 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



" ten in their foreheads." And in chap. xix. 11 to 16, the name 
of Jesus, who is also the Lamb, and the Word, is brought for- 
ward under such circumstances of dignity and unrivalled sove- 
reignty, that it may well pass for the name and description of all 
that is divine. Taking, however, the two names of God and the 
Lamb in their proper and respective significations, and uniting 
them in the mind so as to characterize only One Supreme Object 
worthy of our love and adoration, we have then the true scriptural 
idea of God manifested in the Flesh, or God visible and ap- 
proachable as a Divine Man. And if to this exercise of the un- 
derstanding, in relation to the person of our heavenly Father, we 
add also the fervent desires of the heart to do his will in every 
situation and condition of our existence, we shall then experience 
the real privileges of admission into the holy city ; we shall no 
longer live as it were at a distance from him ; but having access 
to his presence, we shall become his willing servants, shall be 
permitted to see his face, and moreover shall have his name in- 
scribed on our foreheads : that is to say, we shall be enabled to 
see and understand the genuine truths of his Word, by the pure 
light of which we may contemplate his divine attributes and per- 
fections 5 and finally we shall be blessed with his love, with Him- 
self in our hearts. 



[145.] Apoc. xxii. 12, 13. " Behold, I come quickly : and my 
" reward is with me, to give to every man according as his work 
" shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning' and the End. 
" the First and the Last" 



In many parts of the New Testament, Jesus uses a language 
so similar to that of Jehovah in the Old Testament, that the re- 
self. So with respect to our Lord and Saviour jEsrs Christ, whensoever he 
names either the Father, or the Holy Spirit, apparently as different persons 
from himself, we are uniformly to understand, that he is still speaking of 
Himself alone, either in reference to his essential divinity, meant by the Fa- 
ther, or to his proceeding divine truth, meant by the Holy Spirit. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



32r 



semblance forces itself upon our notice. When, for instance, he 
says, " Come unto me, all ye that labour, and are heavy-laden, and 
"I will give you rest" Matt. xi. 28; the words immediately 
bring to our recollection what Jehovah had previously delivered 
by the prophet : " Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of 
44 the earth : for I am God, and there is none else" Isa. xlv. 22. 
Again, when he says, 44 1 am the good Shepherd : my sheep hear 
44 my voice, and I know them, and they follow me : and J give 
" unto them eternal life" John x. 14, 27, 28 ; we cannot help re- 
curring to that passage in the Psalms, where David says, " Jeho- 
44 v ah is my Shepherd, I shall not want : he maketh me to lie 
44 down in green pastures ; he leadeth me beside the still waters ; 
44 he restoreth my soul ; he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness 
44 for his name's sake," Ps. xxiii. 1 to 3 : Or to that in the pro- 
phet Isaiah, where it is written, 44 The Lord Jehovih* shall 
44 feed Ins flock like a shepherd : he shall gather the lambs with 
44 his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead 
44 those that are with young," Isa. xl. 11 : Or else to that in the 
prophet Ezekiel, where the Lord Jehovih himself says, 44 Be- 
44 hold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out : 
' 4 as a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among 
44 his sheep that are scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and 
44 will deliver them out of all places, where they have been scat- 
tered," Ezek. xxxiv. 11, 12. 

In like manner, when we hear Jesus say, as in the Apocalypse, 
chap. iii. 11 ; chap. xvi. 15; chap, xxii. 1 , 12, 20, 44 Behold, I 
* 4 come quickly, and my reward is with me we at once perceive, 
that the speaker can be no other than the same, who in ancient 
times had dictated a similar language, and thus announced his 
future advent. 44 Behold, the Lord Jehovih ivill come with 
• 4 strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him : behold, his reward 
• ; is with him, and his work before him," Isa. xl. 10. Or, as it is 
expressed in another place, 44 Behold, Jehovah hath proclaimed 
"imto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Be- 

* For the difference in signification between the word Jehotih and Jeho= 
tah, as used in the Sacred Scriptures, see the Note, page 216. 



328 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



4i hold, thy salvation cometh ; behold, his inward is with him, 
" and his work before him," Isa. hdi. 11. 

But when, in addition to all the above, of itself amply sufficient 
to convince us of the sole divinity of Jesus, we hear him most 
solemnly and distinctly pronounce, " I am Alpha and Omega, the 
44 Beginning and the End, the First and the Last, who is, who 
u ivas, and who is to come, the Almighty and when we reflect 
upon the true import of this divine language, which could never 
pass the lips of any being conscious of an existing Power superior 
to himself ; to the winds are immediately committed all re- 
maining doubts, if any still lurk in the mind, and with the fullest 
assurance, that can be derived from revelation doubly revealed, we 
hail the Saviour of the world as it's Creator also, as the one only 
and everlasting fountain of all life and being. 

Every great doctrine of the Sacred Scriptures will admit of be- 
ing illustrated and confirmed in a variety of ways : and it not un- 
frequently happens, that an argument, in itself less weighty than 
another, shall yet have the effect of conveying to some minds a 
more sensible conviction of the truth, than could be obtained from 
a stronger light ; just as a moderately distant view of an object will 
present to the beholder a more pleasing, if not a more correct pic- 
ture, than a nearer one, less adapted to the configuration of his 
eye, is capable of producing. We will, therefore, in agreement 
with this observation, submit to the reader an argument, not be- 
fore urged, which yet seems fairly to arise out of the passage, in 
which Jesu^s declares, that he is " Alpha and Omega, the Begin- 
" ning and the End, the First and the Last." 

Both Trinitarians and Unitarians must acknowledge, that such 
language implies, that the speaker, whoever he may be, is the 
Author and continual Preserver of all life, whether in it's most 
hidden principles, or in it's manifested effects. They will also 
admit, that the Divine Being, thus characterizing himself, is in 
the New Testament further described by the names Father, 
Son, and Holy Spirit, either with respect to himself in his 
three supposed forms called persons, or with respect to himself 
and his agency through the medium of others. In which-ever way 
they understand the terms, they are both agreed, that by the Son, 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 329 

or middle term, is meant Jesus Christ : but what specifically is 
intended by the terms Father and Holy Spirit, they hold in 
dispute among themselves, still however concurring in this one 
point, that the Son Jesus Christ is neither the Father nor the 
Holy Spirit, Now as the whole of Deity and his operations 
are allowed io be included in the Father, the Son, and the Ho- 
ly Spirit ; and as the first term, Father, evidently has refe- 
rence to the words Alpha, Beginning, First, in the former de- 
scription of Deity ; and the third term, Holy Spirit, has in like 
manner as plain a reference to the words, Omega, End, Last ; 
and again, as Jesus the Son, understood by the second term, ex- 
pressly declares, while standing in the midst of the seven golden 
candlesticks, that he himself is both Alpha and Omega, the Be* 
ginning and the End, the First and the Last ; it follows incon- 
trovertibly, even under this view of the Divine Being as afforded 
by the order and import of his sacred names, that Jesus is also 
the Father and the Holy Spirit, and consequently the whole 
and sole Deity, by whatever name expressed, or in whatever way 
described in the Volume of inspiration. 

Thus, when Deity is revealed to man in Trinity, as well as in 
Unity, he who, in the order of nomination, stands as the middle 
term, the uniting link, the great medium, known also by the 
name of Mediator, between the divine essence called the Fa- 
ther, and the divine operations upon the spirits of men called 
the Holy Spirit, by virtue of the true nature of a divine me- 
dium, unites in himself all of divinity that is invisible, impercep- 
tible, and inaccessible, with all of divinity that is manifest, per- 
ceptible, and capable of approach. This, therefore, is the One 
Incarnate God, Jesus Christ, who being in the midst of all, and 
thus present with all, is the very life of all, according to their 
several degrees and capacities of reception, from the highest to 
the lowest, or from inmost principles to ultimate effects : but es- 
pecially, in regard to heavenly and divine things, he now stands 
confessed in his church as the sole Mover, Conductor, and Fi- 
nisher of the redemption, regeneration, and salvation of mankind; 
in other words, as " Mpha and Omega, the Beginning and the 
* End, the First and the Last." 

T t 



$30 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS Otf 



[144,] Apoc. xxii. 16. « I Jesus have sent mine angel to tes- 
" tify unto you these things in the churches." 

"YVe have already, in a former part of this work, under article 
27, noticed the argument in favour of the divinity of our Lord, 
so plainly arising out of these words. But it may be well to give 
them a further consideration. 

The Unitarian, who looks upon Jesus as a, mere man, must, 
when he reads this passage, in the first instance, think it one of 
the most unaccountable things in the world, that a worm like 
himself should have it in his power to depute an angel, as his 
humble minister and messenger, to execute his good pleasure, by 
making known to the churches the wonderful contents of the 
book of Revelation. But on further reflection he will, no doubt, 
conceive it necessary to turn to the original, in order to ascer- 
tain precisely the true meaning of the term, which is rendered 
angel : and then discovering, that in strictness it denotes only a 
messenger, narrator, or bearer of news, he rejoices in the thought, 
that his system has still a leg to stand upon. " Where (says he) 
6i is the difficulty or impropriety of supposing, that a mere man 
" may send a messenger on #ny particular occasion, to communis 
« cate to others what he cannot so conveniently inform them of in 
66 person ?" Thus by reducing the word angel to it's primitive 
and most literal signification, he would, if possible, destroy every 
idea that tends to exalt Jesus to be the God of heaven. But ne- 
ver can he succeed in such an attempt, while we find the very 
same expression made use of in reference to the Lord God, as 
we do in reference to Jesus. In the 6th verse it is written, 
" The Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew 
** unto his servants the things which must shortly be done." And 
in the 16th verse, " I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unt* 

you these things in the churches." 

From a comparison of these two passages together, and taking 
them both in connection with what is said in chap. xxi. 9, and 
again further back in chap. i. 1, four things are most evident, viz.- 
First, That the Lord God and Jesus are equally said to have 
gent, each one respectively, his angel. Secondly, That the angel 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



331 



sent by the Lord God, and the angel sent by Jesus, is in both 
cases one and the same angel ; being in fact " one of the seven 
u angels, which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues," 
who invited John to follow him, that he might shew him the won- 
derful things belonging to the New Jerusalem, chap. xxi. 9, 10$ 
&c. Thirdly , That the purpose, for which this angel was sent by 
the Lord God and by Jesus, is also one and the same, namely, to 
testify and make known in the churches the great events, which 
were to take place in their proper time. And, Fourthly, That, 
as the result of all these things put together, well digested, and 
confirmed by the testimony of divine truth itself in innumerable 
parts of the Sacred Scriptures, the absolute identity of onr Lord 
Jesus Christ with the Lord God of the holy prophets, and con- 
sequently his sole, supreme, and exclusive divinity, is established 
on so firm a foundation, that hereafter neither the powers of per- 
verted reason in man, nor the malice and subtlety which have 
rule in devil, can ever hope to assail it with any prospect of suc- 
cess, much less to subvert and overthrow it. 

We see then that the Unitarian system of excluding Jesus from 
all participation in the divine nature, whether it be regarded from 
the light of sound reason, or from the still superior light of reve- 
lation, has the support and countenance of neither the one nor 
the other, when fairly and properly appealed to. It is true, in- 
deed, there is an inferior kind of rationality, which may appear 
to give some countenance to it ; a subordinate reason, (or more 
properly, ratiocination,) scarcely deserving the name, but yet 
in common life honoured with the appellation, being intended 
partly to distinguish man from a brute, and partly to serve as a 
medium or step to introduce him to a higher degree of human 
wisdom. And too many are content to avail themselves only of 
it's first use and power, without ever seeking or caring to exer- 
cise it's second. The consequence of which is, that all such Walk 
in the mere shade of external science and literature, surrounded 
with clouds and mists and vapours innumerable, and are never 
once favoured with the sun-shine of genuine, spiritual truth. 
"When they look into the page of revelation, they can of course 
discern nothing but shadoi&s and darkness, the mere appearances 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



of truth in the letter of the Word, having not the least suspicion, 
that any other sense can possibly attach to the expressions, than 
that which they find clinging to their surface. 

But there is also a superior kind or degree of rationality, which 
truly deserves the name of reason, because it is enlightened with 
the pure beams of light from heaven. This is that higher state of 
intellectual perception, to which the former degree is only intro- 
ductory and subservient, when not set in opposition to it by fal 
lacious reasonings and erroneous conclusions. And it is in the 
exercise of this faculty, free from the shackles of nature, matter, 
time, and space, that we are conducted by revelation to the tern- 
pie of wisdom itself, where we behold things unutterable and in- 
comprehensible to the mere natural man, but perfectly clear and 
satisfactory to the spiritual man. 

But if the Unitarian doctrine, which totally denies the divinity 
of Jesus Christ, is found to be opposed to sound reason, as well 
as to the genuine sense of revelation ; is the Trinitarian system, 
which allows to Jesus a participation in divinity with two other 
supposed claimants, calculated to clear up all the doubts, which 
have arisen in the church concerning his person and character ? 
or to reconcile the Scriptures either with themselves, or with the 
common sense of mankind ? Most assuredly it is not ; as we 
have already in many parts of this work sufficiently demonstrat- 
ed. Even the passages before cited, in this article, will make no- 
thing in favour of Trinitarians, but on the contrary will fasten 
upon them their own absurdity in imagining two or three divine 
persons as necessary to the unity of God, when one divine person 
alone is so much better calculated to give it. By them it is ad- 
mitted, that Jesus, in right of that divinity, which he had in com- 
mon with the Father and the Holy Ghost from all eternity, may 
keep and commission angels to perform his will, whensoever he 
pleases. And yet it is perhaps not agreed on all sides among 
Trinitarians themselves, whether each of the divine persons has, 
or has not, an order or class of angels to attend upon him, sepa- 
rately and distinctly from those of the other two persons : though 
it might possibly be so inferred from the expressions his angel 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 

and mine angel, applied respectively to the Lord God and. to 
Jesus. 

But allowing, for argument's sake, that Jesus is a person dif' 
ferent from him who is called the Lord God of the holy pro* 
phets, and that He sent one angel to John, while the Lord God 
sent another ; how does this view of the subject agree with what 
is said in the very first verse of the first chapter of the Apoca- 
lypse ? in chap. xvii. 1 ? and in chap. xxi. 9 £ From which places 
compared with the above it appears, that the angel, who attended 
upon John, was one and the same from first to last. 

Again, on the supposition, repeated a second time, that Jesus is 
a person different from the Lord God of the holy prophets, then 9 
according to the Trinitarian scheme, the Lord God here men- 
tioned must either be the first person in the Trinity, or the last ; 
must either be the Father, or the Holy Ghost : but which of 
them, we are at liberty to guess for ourselves. Well, then, we 
will for the present take him to be the Father, because he is else- 
where called the Lord God Almighty, who was, who is, and 
who is to come ; and because he is also said to be the person, that 
sits upon the throne. In this case it will be found, that the Holy 
Ghost, as the third person in the Godhead, has had no concern at 
all either in inditing the last book of divine revelation, or in com- 
missioning any angel on his part to attend John while in the spi- 
rit, and to instruct him on the subject of future events. This must 
be considered as rather an extraordinary circumstance, especially 
as it is understood, that all the other books of Scripture were giv- 
en by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. " For" (says the 
apostle Peter) " the prophecy came not in old time by the will of 
" man ; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the 
" Holy Spirit," 2 Pet. i. 21. But here is a prophecy, and a most 
important one too, relative to the future state of the Christian 
church, it's desolation and consummation, and after that a new 
and most glorious state of pure and genuine Christianity, than 
had ever before existed in the world ; and yet not a word is men 
tioned in the whole of it's contents, from which we might gather* 
either that it was indited by the third person in the Trinity, usual- 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



iy called the Holy Ghost, or even that there is any such third 
person at all in being ! 

It is true, mention is made of the Spirit in chap. ii. and iii. of 
the Apocalypse : but this cannot be taken for a third person in 
the Trinity, nor indeed for any thing different from the divine 
truth proceeding from Jesus, because it is most evident, that the 
things spoken by the Spirit are the very words of Jesus himself, 
or of the Son of Man seen in the midst of the seven golden can* 
dlesticks, chap. i. 13 to 20. Nor again are we to understand any 
thing else by the Spirit mentioned in chap. xxii. 17, than the an- 
gelic heaven, as receptive of the divine truth above described, 
which unites with the church on earth, called the New Jerusa- 
lem, and also the bride, in ardent prayer for the Lord's second 
and last advent, saying, " Come ; even so, come, Lord Jesus," 
ver. 17, 20. 

But again, (to give the Trinitarians every chance of supporting 
their scheme, by looking at it in every direction, and in every 
posture~which it can assume,) on the supposition, repeated a third 
time, that Jesus is a person different from the Lord God of the 
holy prophets ; and on the further supposition that this Lord God 
is, not the first person, but the third, in order of the Trinity ; 
then it will follow, that the Holy Ghost, and the Father, is the 
person, who is all along described as sitting upon the throne of 
heaven, having assumed a name and title, heretofore by universal 
consent given to the Father ; while the Father himself, ex- 
changing places and offices with the third person of the Trinity, 
is either supposed to be waiting in silence near the throne, or 
else to have been totally forgotten in all the great scenes which 
passed in heaven ! 

There is still, however, another view of the subject, which may 
be taken by a Trinitarian ; and in this we will endeavour to assist 
him, as far as we are able, that, while he gains possession of the 
truth in part, he may be gradually led to the full enjoyment of it, 
by a scriptural, rational, and consistent faith in the sole and ex- 
clusive divinity of Jesus Christ. Let the Trinitarian then ad- 
mit that the Lord God, who in ver. 6 is said to have sent his an- 
gel, and Jesus, who in ver. 16 is also said to have sent his angel. 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



335 



may still be one and the same divine person, especially as the 
end, for which they were sent, appears to be one and the same ; 
then how easy will it be for him to fix himself on this rock of di- 
vine truth, as upon a basis, from which he will never depart ! He 
will then be prepared to see, that, as Jesus is thus acknowledged 
to be both God and Man in one divine person, there cannot exist 
the shadow of a necessity for supposing any more than one 5 since 
all the purposes of creation, redemption, and salvation, must be 
infinitely better performed by one divine person, than by three. 
And seeing this, he will in an instant perceive, that all those 
passages in the Revelation, and in other parts of the Sacred Scrip- 
tures, which speak of the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb., 
of God and Christ, of the Father and the Son, are to be under- 
stood solely in reference to the Essential Divinity and the Di- 
vine Humanity in the single person of our Lord and Saviour Je- 
sus Christ. 

Thus all the difficulties and apparent discordances relative to 
the person and character of Jesus, which have heretofore occa- 
sioned so much controversy and contention in the church, will al- 
together vanish from the sight ; and the truth of revelation, but 
particularly that of the Divine Unity and the Divine Trinity in 
our Lord, like the soul, the body, and the proceeding operation in 
man, will shine forth with a new lustre, will carry with it a new 
power, and will become in the hearts of all who embrace it a new 
source of joy, peace, and everlasting felicity,. 



CONCLUSION. 

HAVING undertaken, in this work, to seal the lips both of 
Unitarians and Trinitarians, that is, to silence them as to any ef- 
fectual opposition, which they can make against the exclusive di~ 
vinity of Jesus Christ, either by rational argument, or by a con- 
sistent view of revelation, the Seal affixed upon them shall be 
considered as unbroken, until they can fairly extricate themselves 



35b 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



from the dilemma, to which they are respectively reduced, and 
at the same time clearly disprove the testimony now brought 
forward from the Sacred Scriptures, together with the reflections 
and observations arising out of that testimony, in proof of the doc- 
trine here advanced. It will not be enough for them to cite this 
passage, or the other passage, or indeed any number of passages, 
from the Word, and to set them in opposition to those produced 
in the present work : for this may be done in favour of any doc- 
trine, however absurd and preposterous in itself : but the true 
meaning of the whole must be consulted ; and it must be made to 
appear, that the sense put upon them, whether it be by Unitarians 
or Trinitarians, is in perfect harmony with the other parts of re- 
velation, and especially with those which ascribe omniscience, 
omnipotence, and omnipresence, with other divine perfections, to 
Jesus Christ, and which (in our view at least) identify him as 
One with the Father, as One with Jehovah, and consequently 
as the One Only God of Heaven and Earth. 

But as this would be to annul their own sentiments concerning 
the person of Jesus, it is not to be expected, that they will be able 
to see this great truth in the same light as we do : and therefore 
in all probability they will be under the necessity of having re- 
course to the old plea of " highly figurative language or of 
6< some error in the text or of a mysterious " co-equality in di- 
" vine majesty" between two or more persons in the Godhead ; or, 
in short, to any shift, rather than come to the plain and honest 
confession of the sole divinity of Jesus Christ. In either case 
the arguments so fairly stated, and so frequently urged, in the 
preceding pages, would by such a procedure be completely evad- 
ed ; and consequently they would still remain in their full force, 
as well against the worshippers of God in three divine forms, as 
against those who acknowledge him in no form at all. 

As already observed, we profess in our title-page to stop the 
mouths of gainsayers, by setting a Seal upon the lips of Unita- 
rians, Trinitarians, and all others, who refuse to acknowledge the 
sole, supreme, and exclusive divinity of our Lord and Saviour 
Jesus Christ. But it may be asked, What others are there, 
professors of Christianity, to whom this work may be said to b.f 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



337 



addressed, and who, as fit subjects within the reach of our arm, 
may be considered as liable to have their mouths stopped, or their 
lips sealed? We answer as follows. In a general point of view, 
it is admitted, that Trinitarians and Unitarians make up the great 
bulk of what is called the Christian church; besides whom, we 
can hardly conceive of any others within it's pale, unless we raise 
into a new and distinct name some few, who walk in the mid-way 
between the two former, that is, between the worshippers of God 
in three divine persons or forms, and the worshippers of God in 
only one divine person or form, or rather (as they themselves ex- 
press it) without any form at all ! The few professors here alluded 
to are those, who, observing a kind of chasm that requires to be fill- 
ed up, or stage to be occupied, between the Unitarian doctrine of 
one divine person and the Trinitarian doctrine of three such per- 
sons, jump at once into it, by denying the personality of the Holy 
Ghost, and yet retaining every other point of doctrine which is 
common with Trinitarians. Hence they may be properly called 
Duallists, from their acknowledging only two divine persons is 
the Godhead, instead of three. 

Here then is a third class, to be added to the other two classes, 
in the community of professing Christians, who, though differing 
with each other in various subordinate points of doctrine, are yet 
all agreed in rejecting the exclusive divinity of Jesus Christ. 
We may indeed say, they have each contributed their full share 
in enabling us to give a finish to the picture of modern Christiani- 
ty, such as it has been drawn in the present work ; which, after* 
all, is not intended for a whole length portrait, but merely as a 
sketch or general outline, with the features indeed rather strong- 
ly marked on the canvass, that the living original may be known 
and distinguished at first sight, and no longer pass in society for 
"what she really is not, — the Bride or Wife of the Lamb. 

Reader, examine well the lines of her visage ; be not deceived 
by the elegance of her dress, the apparent dignity of her carriage, 
the fascinating pride of her footstep, or the melting sweetness of 
her siren song. If she has been held up to your astonishment, let 
her not steal away your admiration, much less your affection 

V \i 



338 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



Reserve these, and with them your whole heart, your whole soul* 
and your whole strength, for Him, who is alone the pattern of 
every perfection,- alone the source of every genuine good 5 and 
who therefore is alone entitled to your supreme love, in return for 
all the blessings, which his hands have bestowed. This great Ob- 
ject, so worthy of eternal and unceasing regard, is no other than 
the Divine Man Jesus Christ, besides whom there never did 
exist, nor ever can exist, either in heaven or on earth, any other 
Lord, any other God, any other Saviour, nor consequently any 
other Father, Friend, and Protector of the human race. 

Under the fullest conviction, that the doctrine, which we have 
been endeavouring to set forth, is the genuine, undoubted sense 
of the Holy Scriptures from beginning to end ; and firmly be- 
lieving, that the more it is made known and received in the 
world, the greater will be the increase of virtue and happiness 
among men, we cannot help most earnestly recommending it to 
the notice of the public in general, as the first step towards a ra- 
dical change, or reformation, not of manners only, but of interior 
principles of life, and consequently as the first gift of heaven*, 
which leads the way to the enjoyment of every other blessing, 
For as in ancient times, in the midst of the spreading idolatries 
of the earth, the knowledge and worship of the Lord Jehovih, 
that is, of Jehovah about to come into the world, was the only 
security to the people of Israel against the power of their ene- 
mies ; so in the present day, in the midst of idolatries similar in 
their internal form to those which surrounded Israel, the true ac- 
knowledgment and worship of Jesus Christ alone as the same 
Lord Jehovih, but now incarnate in a Divinely -Human Form, 
is the only sure safe-guard and protection against calamities of 
every description, to nations, societies, and individuals. 

Deeply impressed with the truth and importance of this senti- 
ment, we have considered it a duty to be plain, open, and candid, 
in all our remarks upon doctrines of a contrary tendency, ho- 
nestly endeavouring to seal or close the lips of gainsayers, in or- 
der that the name, the divine name of Jesus may alone be ho- 
noured,, his voice alone be heard, and his blessed will alone be 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 



339 



done on earth, even as it is done in heaven. And if either by 
the title of our work, or by the manner and spirit of it's execu- 
tion, we have unintentionally excited the displeasure of any one 
of our readers, we beg him to remember what we stated in our 
Preface, viz. that we consider the erroneous sentiments of a man 
as distinguishable from the man himself; and that, while we ex- 
ercise all freedom in opposing the former, we yet trust that we 
still entertain the greatest respect and esteem for the latter. 

After making this apology, therefore, for all the slips of out 
pen, and for all the errors and imperfections discoverable in our 
treatment of the various subjects discussed, we now clqse this 
work, resting it for authority, and for support, solely upon the 
Word of divine truth 5 against the genuine sense of which, as 
here laid down, the Atheist, the Deist, the Materialist or Natu- 
ralist, the Tri-personalist also, as well as the Duallist, and the 
Unitarian Theist, may in various ways contend, but shall yet ne- 
ver-— never prevail. For " in the days of these kings shall the 
" God of heaven set up a Idngdom, which shall never be destroy- 
" ed: and the kingdom shall Jiot be left to other people, but it 
u shall break in pieces, and consume all these kingdoms, and it 
" shall stand for ever" Dan. ii. 44. Moreover, " I saw in the 
46 night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man came with 
u the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days ; and 
a they brought him near before him ;" — —so near, that both were 
identified as one and the same Divine Person. " And there 

was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all 
" people, nations, and languages, should serve him : his dorni- 
* nion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and 
" his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed," Dan. vii. 
13, 14. 



?40 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



Concluding Testimonies from the Sacred Scriptures, i> 
Froof of the sole, supreme, and exclusive Divinity of our 
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 

1. 44 Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall 

" call his name Immanuel," Isa. vii. 14. " Now the birth 

" of Jesus Christ was on this wise : When as his mother Mary 
44 was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was 
* 4 found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband 
" being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, 
a was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on 
" these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him 
44 in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take 
44 unto thee Mary thy wife : for that which is conceived in her, is 
" of the Holy Spirit. And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou 
44 shalt call his name Jesus : for he shall save his people from 
44 their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled 
" which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, 
44 a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a Son, and 
44 they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, 
44 God with us," Matt. i. 18 to 23. 

2. 44 Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the 
44 government shall be upon his shoulder : and his name shall be 
" called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Ever- 
44 lasting Father, the Prince of Peace," Isa. ix. 6. 

S. 44 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare 
44 ye the way of Jehovah, make straight in the desert a highway 

f £ for our God," Isa. xl. 3. John said, 44 I am the voice of 

44 one crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the 
44 Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. But there standeth One 
c4 among you, whom ye know not : He it is, who coming after me 
<fi is preferred before me, whose shoes 9 latchet I am not worthy to 
44 unloose. And I knew him not: but that he should be made 
f 4 manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water," 
J^iii i. 23,26, 27, 31. 

4. 44 Behold, the Lord Jehovih will come with strong hand, 
« and his arm shall rule for him. He shall feed hisjlock like a 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. 341 



* 6 Shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry 
" them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with 
" young," Isa. xL 10, 11. " Jehovah is my Shepherd, I shall 

" not want," Ps. xxiii. 1. Jesus said, " I am the good 

w Shepherd : my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and 
" they follow me : and I give unto them eternal life" John x. 11, 
14, 27, 28. 

5. " Thus saith Jehovah that created thee, 0 Jacob, and he 
66 that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not; for I have redeemed thee. 
fc I am Jehovah thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour. 
" I, even I, am Jehovah ; and beside me there is no Saviour ," 

Isa. xliii. 1,3, 11. " And the angel said unto them, Fear 

" not ; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which 
" shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day, in the 
4i city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord," Luke 

ii. 10, 11. 

6. Thus saith Jehovah, 66 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all 
" the ends of the earth : for I am God, and there is none else," 
Isa. xlv. 22. — ^ — —Thus saith Jesus, u Come unto me, all ye 
" that labour, and are heavy-laden; and I will give you rest" 
Matt. xi. 28. 

7. " Thy Maker is thine Husband ; Jehovah of hosts is his 

" name," Isa. liv. 5. ■ — " Let us be glad and rejoice ; for 

" the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made 
" herself ready," Apoc. xix. 7. See also Matt. ix. 15. John 

iii. 29. 

8. " Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion 5 for great is 
44 the Holy One of Israel in the midst of tfiee," Isa. xii. 6. " I 
" am God, and not man, the Holy One in the midst of thee," Hos. 
xi. 9. " The King of Israel, even Jehovah, is in the midst of 
66 thee," Zeph. iii. 15. " Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion : 
for lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith Jeho- 

" v ah," Zech. ii. 10. Jesus said, " Where two or three 

i; are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of 
< 4 them," Matt, xviii. 20. And again, " Lo, I am with you al- 
h way even unto the erA of the world" Matt, xxviii. 20. 



S42 



A SEAL UPON THE LIPS OF 



9. " I Jehovah search the heart, I try the reins, even to give 
" every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of 

his doings," Jer. xvii. 10. « The righteous God trieth the 

" hearts and the reins," Ps. vii. 9.— Jesus saith, " lam He 

u who searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every 
" one of you according to your works," Apoc. ii. 23. 

10. " Jesus said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be 
" forgiven thee. But there were certain of the scribes sitting 
" there, and reasoning in their hearts, Who can forgive sins, but 
d God only ?" Mark ii. 5 to 7. Luke v. 20, 21. Matt. ix. 2. 

11. " Jesus spake unto his disciples, saying, Ml power is given 
u unto me in heaven and inearth," Matt, xxviii. 18. 

12. " In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with 
" God, and God was the Word. He was in the world, and the 
' a world was made by him, and the world knew him not. And the 
" Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. John bare witness 
" of him, and cried, saying, This was he, of whom I spake, He 
u that cometh after me, is preferred before me ; for he was before 
" me," John i. 1, 10, 14, 15. 

13. " As the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to 
the Son to have life in himself," John v. 26. 

14. " Jesus said unto the Jews, Verily verily I say unto you ? 
<" Before Abraham was, lam," John viii. 58. 

15. Jesus said, " I and my Father are One," John x. SO. 

16. " Jesus saith, I am the way, and the truth, and the life," 
John xiv. 6. 

17. Jesus saith, " If ye had known Me, ye would have known 
" my Father also : and from henceforth ye know him, and have 
" seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, 
* and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long 
v time ivith you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip ? he 
\$ that hath seen Me, hath seen the Father ; and how sayest 
¥ thou then, Shew us the Father ?" John xiv. 7 to 9. 

18. Jesus said to his disciples, " Without me ye can do no- 
^ thing," John xv. 5. 

19. Jesus saith, "Ml things that the Father hath? are mine*" 
John xvi. ,15* 



UNITARIANS, TRINITARIANS, &c. S4S 

20. « Jesus breathed on his disciples, and saith unto them, He- 
ceive ye the Holy Spirit" John xx. 22. 

21. " Thomas answered and said unto Jesus, My Lord, and 
" my God," John xx. 28. And this acknowledgment of Thomas 
is graciously received and approved by Jesus, ver. 29. 

22. 6 f / am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, 
" saith the Lord, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the 
" Almighty. I was in the spirit on the Lord's day, and heard 
" behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, / am Alpha 
" and Omega, the First and the Last. And I turned to see the 
" voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw One like 
" unto the Son of Man," Apoc. i. 8, 10 to 13. See also chap, 
xxi. 6 ; and chap. xxii. 13. 

23. " I saw in the midst of the seven candlesticks One like 
" unto the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, 
" and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his 
" hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes wer«e 
" as a flame of fire ; and his feet like unto fine brass, as if they 
" burned in a furnace : and his voice as the sound of many \vw 
" ters* And he had in his right hand seven stars : and out of his 
* 4 mouth went a sharp two-edged sword : and his countenance was 
" as the sunshineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell 
" at his feet as dead : and he laid his right hand upon me, saying 
« unto me, Fear not ; lam the First and the Last : I am he that 
" liveth, and was dead : and behold, I" am alive for evermore, 
« Amen," Apoc. i. 13 to 18. 

24. " And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel 
« to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be 

" done. 1 Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these 

" things in the churches," Apoc. xxii. 6, 16. 



FINIS, 



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